Not Just Fey
by EmeraldWings1992
Summary: Joshua Fey-Wright, son of Phoenix and Maya, has been seeing some weird things lately. The victim of a murder, pleading for his help? A mysterious woman who walks around Fey Manor? He's seeing spirits, something no-one else can do. But how, and what's he to do when his parents won't believe him?
1. Characters

**A/N:** Hey guys! This isn't exactly a chapter, just a quick character sheet for the OC's in this story. There are a few, but they're all children (or related) of (mostly) canon characters from both _Ace Attorney_ and _Professor Layton_. I'll start with the oldest and work my way down to the youngest.

I will also mention the first story they appeared in.

Remember, in this universe, _Spirit of Justice_ never happened (though this story will contain elements from that game.)

Two head cannons I should make clear:

1\. Phoenix graduated Ivy U with both his law and art degree. While horrible at 3D art, he's really skilled at 2D (painting, sketching, ect.) and tends to draw everyone he meets. This leads to some awkward times (think of the women he meets), but he keeps it up to keep practicing. Since moving to Kurain, he likes to paint landscapes when he has down time. Both kids got this artistic gene.

2\. Both Apollo and Ema are closet sci-fi geeks. Most people into science, like Ema, tend to be, and Apollo makes WAY too many sci-fi references between _Apollo Justice_ and _Dual Destinies_ not to be. Clay probably got him into sci-fi. Thus, their daughter, Lexi, got this gene, but doesn't hide it. At. All.

…

 **Zeus Justice** : Biological father of Apollo Justice

Created before SoJ came out, named after the Greek God who had been Apollo's father (as, you know, opposed to the Roman God that the canon character is named after…).

Appearance: Shoulder length, blond hair with two locks framing his face, dark brown eyes, large forehead.

Thalassa's first husband and now current husband. He is laid back, yet passionate about his job as an escape artist. He seemed to die in a tragic stage accident when one of his escapes went wrong, but instead went into a coma, waking up many years later. He is an expert at lock picking with a high tolerance for pain and skilled at contortion. He is double jointed in most parts of his body.

First Appeared: _Turnabout Escape._

 **Eric Shiner** : Husband of Flora Shiner (Previously Flora Reinhold)

Appearance: Tall, muscular and tan with dark blond, messy curly hair and dark brown eyes.

Used to use overconfidence to hide his shyness, he is a lover of archaeology and very caring. He is a professor of Archeology at Gressensheller, and has been close friends/rival with Luke Triton since they were young. Used to specialize in the ancient civilization of the Venrin, he now specializes in people who date back to even older then the Azran.

First Appeared: _Professor Layton and the Venrin Band_

 **Misty Fey-Wright:** Daughter of Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey-Wright

15 in this story.

Appearance: Long black hair pulled up into a top-knot, dark brown eyes, Maya's figure. She wears acolyte clothing and a dark blue Magatama.

Next in line to be the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She is shy, yet always happy, and insanely powerful with spiritual magic. She is constantly trying to dispel the bad blood between the main family and the branch families. She loves to paint.

First Appeared: _The Golden Turnabout_

 **Joshua Fey-Wright:** Son of Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey-Wright

15 in this story, Fraternal twin to Misty.

Appearance: Short, spiky black hair, dark blue eyes, Phoenix's build, always seen in a gray hoody with blue trimming.

Seems shy and quiet at first, is actually pretty outgoing with his friends. He is fiercely protective of his sister, and loves those old samurai cartoons. He dreamed of being accepted into Themis Legal Academy, but decided to go to regular high school at the last minute, deciding to study law in college instead, with dreams of becoming a defense attorney. He loves drawing with charcoal.

First Appeared: _The Golden Turnabout_

 **Amethyst "Amy" Fey-Triton** : Daughter of Luke Triton and Pearl Fey-Triton

10 in this story.

Appearance: Long, sandy brown hair and gray eyes. Total baby face. Wears acolyte clothes with a purple Magatama.

Somewhat powerful with her spiritual abilities, she can talk to animals just like Luke. She is a complete animal lover, sometimes preferring to spend time with her puppy, Sapphire, then with humans. She is usually sweet as can be, but has both of her parents' temper.

First Appeared: _Not Just Fey_

 **Violet Shiner** : Daughter of Eric Shiner

10 in this story.

Appearance: Slim, with long, curly dark blond hair and wide, dark eyes.

Outgoing and ever curious, she is sharp-witted and a lover of mysteries. She's extremely close to her grandfather, Hershel, and her uncle, Alfendi. She wants to grow up to be a travel writer after visiting a few digs with her father.

First Appeared: _Psychopaths_

 **Alexis "Lexi" Justice** : Daughter of Apollo Justice and Ema Justice

9 in this story.

Appearance: Ema's hair color with bangs that look a lot like Apollo's, just shorter and not gelled up. Dark brown eyes. Slim and short. Wears a white lab coat that is covered in buttons from different sci-fi movies/shows/comic books, and glasses that she can switch the lenses between pink and clear.

She has Perceive abilities and is a total sci-fi geek. She constantly makes references to different movies, and seems to be way smarter than her age would suggest. She has inherited Apollo's bracelet.

First Appeared: _Not Just Fey_

 **Orpheus Justice:** Son of Apollo Justice and Ema Justice

7 in this story. Named after the Greek god, Orpheus, who was the son of Apollo.

Appearance: Blond hair and teal eyes.

He has the perceive abilities and is mostly double jointed. He is enamored by the idea of show business, and constantly helps Aunt Trucy and Grandpa Zeus in their acts, as he can't decide if he likes the idea of magic or escapism more.

First Appeared: _Not Just Fey_

…

There will probably be a few more, but these are the most important ones for this story (or to understand the kids, because one doesn't appear in the story at all…).


	2. Something Different

**A/N:** First chapter, yay! Now remember, this fanfiction, like all of the stories on this account, ignores _Ace Attorney 6_ , because I developed this universe and MANY elements before that game came out, most of which clash with what we learned. This is the last time I will say this (in this story). This fic will have tiny elements of _Professor Layton_ in the form of Luke and Flora, but is mostly considered _Ace Attorney_ , hence the lack of the crossover label.

Alright, here we go!

…

Chapter One: Something Different

Joshua Fey-Wright considered himself to be fairly normal. At least, by his family's standards. He had a close relationship with his father, and was fiercely protective of his twin sister. Like a lot of fifteen year olds, he was part of a pretty die-hard fandom: _The Chronicles of Neo-Tokyo_ , and he was a regular on social media sites like Tumblr, where he shared theories for the different Samurai from those shows, as well as his drawings. He also had the dream of following in his father's footsteps and becoming a truth seeking Defense Attorney.

His mother and sister were spirit mediums, and his father was a human lie detector with the use of a Magatama. Josh could do none of this, not even use the Magatama. So, compared to his parents and sister, he was extremely normal. Almost boringly so.

However, this morning was different. Josh knew from the moment he opened his eyes. It was like being able to see for the first time in his life. Everything was suddenly razor sharp and crystal clear. And _brighter_. Of course, he'd always been able to see, but compared to this, colors had been muted, the edges dulled.

Josh didn't know how to put it into words to explain to his parents or sister, so he didn't try. Instead, he slowly walked through Fey Manor, noting that it seemed a lot more crowded today, and got breakfast with them. Phoenix Wright, his father, was stuffing a jam smothered piece of toast in his mouth as he half-studied a file – today was the last day for court with this case – half-listened to Maya Fey-Wright.

"Now remember, Eric, Flora, and Violet should be arriving around lunch. I know you'll probably still be in court, but please try to make it for dinner?" Maya, Josh's mother, was saying as she straightened his tie.

"Of course, Maya. So long as nothing comes up, I'll make it," Phoenix promised, having become a master at reading and talking at the same time. He finished his toast and grabbed his mug, taking a huge swig of steaming coffee, before looking up. He spotted Josh and smiled.

"Hey, sleepy head. About time. You don't want to miss the train," he said. Josh smiled slightly with a nod, sitting next to Misty Fey-Wright, his twin. Misty smiled brightly at him, setting a plate of toast in front of him. Like Phoenix, Josh tended to have small breakfasts.

"Thanks," he said, slathering jam onto a piece and taking a bit. Maya shook her head.

"He's so much like you, Nick," she teased, before jumping up. "Oh! I have a client today. I need to go get the channeling chamber ready," she said. With a quick kiss to the tops of Josh's and Misty's heads, she darted out of the dining room. Phoenix smiled slightly, shaking his head, when his phone beeped. He checked it, and jumped up quickly himself.

"Oh no. Kids, I have to go. Apparently, my client is having a meltdown at the detention center," Phoenix quickly explained before rushing out. Misty chuckled, shaking her head.

"You might be so much like Dad, but they're also so much like each other," she said with a giggle. Josh chuckled.

"Tell me about it. Hey, any idea why the manor seems a little more crowded?" he asked. Misty glanced over at him, and shrugged.

"I… hadn't noticed," she said.

"Oh…" Josh muttered, looking back at his toast.

…

Once the two were done their breakfast, they got ready and headed for the train station, the only way down to town for school. To Josh, even the village and station were more crowded. He was about to point this out to Misty, but decided not to when he noticed her grinning at her phone. Instead, he checked to make sure their ten-year-old cousin, Amethyst Fey-Triton, was with them as they climbed onto the train.

Amy was every bit like her parents. She was sweet and naïve, and totally adorable. She was also brilliant and loved animals. However, unlike her parents, she was extremely shy and preferred the company of animals over humans. John gently pulled Amy over to a set of seats and played a puzzle game with her while they waited the two hours.

Amy, of course, won, but Josh wasn't too surprised.

"Now, I'll pick you up after school and ride back with you, alright? Then we get to see Uncle Eric and Aunt Flora," Josh said as he walked the younger one to her school. Misty had gone on ahead to the high school to meet up with some friends.

"Okay!" Amethyst said brightly. "Oh! That means Violet will be coming too!" she said brightly.

"Mhm," Josh said with a small smile.

"Yay! Alright, see you later then, Josh!" Amy said brightly, giving him a tight hug before dashing into the school building. Josh chuckled and walked to his own school.

…

To Josh, even the school seemed to be crowded. He was getting used to it though, and simply navigated through it, wondering slightly if it might have to do with his sudden 20/20 vision (because why else would everything be so suddenly clear?). Maybe he just never noticed how many people there were around before?

"Hey Josh," Misty said, plopping down next to her brother at lunch while he was with his friends. "Do you think you can cover for me?"

"Cover for you?" Josh asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well." Misty smiled, a small blush covering her cheeks. She pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I want to go out with… a friend. And I don't want Mom and Dad to know… Dad mainly."

"You're going out on a date?" Josh asked, surprised. He glanced her up and down, wondering who, at their age, would be attracted to a girl with a top-knot and acolyte clothing. Misty, of course, took it wrong and puffed out her cheeks.

"Yes, I am," she snapped, punching his arm.

"Um, ow," he said, rubbing his arm and ignoring the snickers of his friends. "Fine. I'll cover," he sighed. "Just don't make it too long. Remember, we have family coming in from Europe," he reminded her. Misty sighed.

"Yeah, I know. Thanks," she said, hugging him before standing and striding off. Josh sighed and looked back at his friends.

"Good luck with that one…" one of them, Frank, said. They all knew who his dad was, after all. The spotter of lies. The contradiction finding king himself.

They all knew Josh and Misty were screwed in this endeavor.

"Yeah, I know. Anyways, let's get back to our game," he said, returning to the _Samurai_ cards in his hand.

…

Pearl Fey-Triton glanced at her watch, waiting for the train. She was a little irritated that she couldn't meet them at the airport, but her duties had taken too long, and they were already on the train by the time she called.

Finally, thankfully, it pulled into the station. Only a handful of people got off, including the ones she was waiting for.

"Flora! Eric!" she called, walking over. Flora grinned at seeing her and darted over, hugging her.

"Hey Pearl! How are you? How's Luke? And Violet?" the older woman demanded. Pearl laughed, hugging her back before detaching herself from the hug.

"I'm good. He's good but busy. She's good, and in school right now," Pearl answered in order of the questions. Eric walked over, holding their daughter's – Violet's – hand.

"Speaking of Luke, where is he?" Eric asked after hugging Pearl and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Pearl smiled, leading them to Fey Manor.

"He's already at the dig," she said.

"Ah, yes. The cave system in Mt. Mitama, right?" Eric asked, glancing at a paper he pulled from his pocket.

"Yes," Pearl said. "Spirit Mediums used to go to Mr. Mitama to train, but that was many, many years ago. It's been abandoned since, to be honest."

"Then what lead Luke there?" Flora asked.

"Curiosity, to be honest. He hadn't had any new assignments in a while, what with Kingston finally retiring, and he was getting antsy, so he took books out from the Fey Library. One mentioned the caves, and he got curious, so he went to check it out. There, he found evidence of an ancient civilization, so Nodir gave him funds and let him put a team together.

"Which he asked me to be a part of," Eric said.

"Exactly." They reached the steps of Fey Manor. Flora could already see Eric practically vibrating with excitement to get started, and glanced at Pearl with a smile.

"Go ahead," Flora said, taking his stuff and Violet.

"Huh?"

"Go meet him. I know he sent you a map of the area, and you can't sit still. We'll get everything settled, okay?"

"Well… alright. Thanks," he said, giving Flora a quick kiss, then the top of Violet's head, before darting off. Flora and Pearl looked at each other.

"Men," they said in unison, before laughing and heading into the manor.

…

When Eric reached the entrance to the cave system, he was ready to head right in. What he didn't expect to find was Luke and the rest of the team resting in the sun outside of the caves, their equipment spread out in the grass around them.

He also didn't expect to find them all soaking wet.

"Uh, hi?" he said. Luke looked up.

"Eric!" he said brightly, jumping to his feet and walking over. The two men, who were close, old friends, hugged for a moment, before Eric jerked back.

"Why are you soaked?" he demanded, wringing the wetness from his shirt. A few of the other crew members snickered at them.

"The caves flooded," Luke explained, before motioning to the mountain they were at the foot of. "The ocean's just on the other side of this mountain, so at high tide, the caves fill up with water." He cupped his chin with his hand. "I thought we could time the tides, but we seemed to be a few minutes off."

"Well, at least everyone got out okay. Right?" Eric said. Luke smiled with a nod.

"That's true. Well, come, step into my office," he said, motioning to the tent that was set up. Eric smiled and followed the younger man in, looking around as they chatted around the plane ride over.

Pinned on the sides were numerous pictures and maps. The cave system seemed huge and complicated, if this hand drawn map was to be trusted. Luke noticed him scrutinizing it.

"A cartographer on the team drew that after a few excursions into the caves," he explained. "It's not complete, at all, but it covers the area we need for now."

"The cave network looks huge," Eric said.

"It is," Luke agreed, before sighing. "But, as of now, we don't know much else."

"What do you mean?" Eric asked, surprised. He knew Luke. Luke was brilliant, and he could make connections between artifacts and a tiny bit of data with no problem. He looked around the tent again, and his heart sank.

There were pictures… but no artifacts. At all.

"We've only been at it for a week, but… between floods and… well, we haven't been able to dig as much as I'd like," Luke said, pulling the brim of his blue, newsboy cap over his eyes.

"And what, Luke? What else is going on?" Eric asked. Luke peeked up, before sighing.

"Sabotage."

…

 **A/N:** Dun dun duuuuuuuuun!

I'll leave you with this little bit of food for thought.


	3. Arrivals

**A/N:** This chapter has a lot of easter eggs for my other stories, as well as an explanation of the difference between ghosts and spirits (as many of my regular readers will know, ghosts have made appearances in this universe in the form of _Danny Phantom_ crossovers).

…

Chapter Two: Arrivals

Joshua still had two hours after school before he had to pick Amethyst up from elementary school. He and Misty would normally hang out in this time, but she had gone on her date.

This gave Josh time to come up with some kind of story as he sat on the steps of the elementary school, his sketch book resting in his lap. He sighed softly, watching people walk by as he used charcoal to sketch out the scene in front of him.

It wasn't his best work, by a long shot, but it was enough to keep his hands busy.

He glanced up and around again, before freezing, spotting something that made his blood run cold.

A young woman, maybe a few years older than himself, was stumbling through the crowd. Her hair was a mess, and her clothes ripped. There was blood on her shirt and her hand where it was pressed against her stomach. She held her phone in her other hand, and was pleading for help.

The worst thing? The thing that made his stomach really turn? Everyone was _ignoring her_. Josh quickly put his book in his bag and wiped his hands on his jeans as he jogged over.

"Hey, miss? Are you okay?" he asked the woman. She turned and looked at him, a wide, shell-shocked look on her face.

"N-no. Please, you have to help me. I-I was just attacked by my boyfriend, and my phone's not working, and-and-and—" she began to hyperventilate. Josh made calming motions, not wanting to touch her, just in case.

"It's okay, it's okay. Here. Sit on that bench, okay? I'll call 9-1-1. I won't leave you until the police get here, okay?"

"A-alright. Th-thank you," the woman sobbed, sitting on the bench Josh had indicated. He quickly pulled out his phone and placed the call. A few minutes later, two cop cars and an ambulance arrived. Out of the first one stepped Detective Klu Hunter, his cream colored trench coat billowing out behind him.

Klu Hunter was a homicide detective in his mid-30s, and incredibly enthusiastic about both his job and the law. This sometimes lead him to arresting the wrong person, but he always meant well. However, as he looked around, Josh could see annoyance sparking in his dark green eyes. Finally, he looked at Josh.

"You made the call, right?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. Please, she needs help," Josh said, motioning to the bench behind him. Hunter looked at the bench for a moment before looking at Josh.

"There's no one there," he said. Josh looked back. The woman was sitting on the very edge, looking anxious as she held the wound in her stomach. He turned back to Hunter.

"What do you mean, Detective? She's right there. Can't you see she's injured and scared? This is no time to be joking around!" Josh snapped.

"Alright, this is getting ridiculous. There is no one there, Mr. Wright!" Hunter snapped with none of his usual good mood. Josh actually took a step back. Of course Hunter knew who he was, he'd accompanied his father on a few investigations that Hunter was in charge of. Josh also knew the detective because of this, and seeing this side of him scared him. "I would think you'd know better than to make a false report. That's a serious crime."

"But it wasn't a false report!" Josh replied. "She is right. There. On that bench!" he said, pointing behind him.

"There is no one there, Mr. Wright," Hunter asserted.

"Oh. _Oh,_ " the girl suddenly gasped. Josh whirled around, wondering if the girl was getting dizzy and needed more help. But…

There was no one there.

"Huh?" he muttered. "Where did she…?"

"I told you," Hunter said. Josh turned to look up at him.

"But… she was… right there," he muttered.

Just then, a red sports car pulled up behind the police cars, the low rumble of its engine announcing its arrival. From it stepped Chief Prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth. He strolled over to the detective and his godson, wondering what was going on.

"Detective, what's going on?" he demanded.

"Ah! Sir!" Hunter snapped to attention, looking at the man. "This young man filed a false report, stating that a woman's been attacked and needed medical attention."

"A false report?" Miles asked, turning to the younger man. "Joshua?"

"I swear, it wasn't false. I saw a woman who needed help, and she was bleeding. She said she was attacked by her boyfriend, so I called 9-1-1 for her. She had been sitting on the bench, but now she…" Josh trailed off, looking at the bench again.

"The bench has been empty since we've arrived, sir," Hunter added. Miles looked at the bench again, before looking at Josh.

"Joshua, where's your sister?"

"After school study-session," Josh answered robotically. Edgeworth's gray eyebrows slammed down over his eyes, seeing the lie from a mile off.

"Right. Come on, I'm taking you home," he said, taking the young man by his arm.

"But sir, what about—" Hunter began, before trailing off once they were in the car. "Right," he sighed.

"But what about Amethyst?" Josh asked as he buckled his seat belt.

"Misty can pick her up," Edgeworth said, pulling away from the curb and weaving around traffic. "After her date."

"Date? What date?" Josh asked, a little too quickly. Miles just looked at him, and the young man slumped in his seat.

…

When they got to the village, Miles immediately pulled Phoenix aside. The defense attorney was tired, having just finished his last case and picked up a new one, but listened intently to what his friend had to say.

"Joshua made a false police report today," he started.

"Wait, what?" Phoenix gasped.

"Mhm. I think Detective Hunter would have taken him in if I hadn't happened by. Wright, I know you and Maya are busy, but… well, maybe Joshua needs some more attention."

"What do you mean?" Phoenix asked.

"Well, Maya's always spending a lot of time with Misty, preparing her to take over, and you're always busy with cases, now that The Wright Anything Agency has fully taken off. Joshua wants to be a lawyer. Maybe he's acting out to get your attention," Miles explained. "Maybe he wants you to start taking him with you to the court room."

"I-I don't know…" Phoenix sighed. "He's still so young."

"Trucy acted as Mr. Justice's co-counsel at his age."

"Yeah, I wasn't exactly father of the year when she was his age," Phoenix replied.

"Pearl acted as your co-counsel when she was much younger."

"Maya was kidnapped, and I needed to keep an eye on Pearl! What else was I supposed to do?"

"Still, Wright. Just think about it. Before his acting out gets him in real trouble."

Joshua, who had been listening at the door, scowled, but darted down the hall so as to not be caught eavesdropping on them.

"I wasn't ' _acting out_ '…" he muttered, before shooting a text to Misty, telling her she's have to pick up Amethyst.

…

"Alright, the water's should have receded by now," a now dry Luke said, picking up his equally dry equipment. Eric helped by grabbing a few things, while the rest of the crew prepared themselves. Once everyone was ready, the proceeded into the caves.

"Flashlight?" Luke offered, holding one out for Eric when noticing he didn't have one. Eric snorted.

"Yeah, thanks," he said, taking it and switching it on.

"What's so funny?" Luke asked.

"It's just odd hearing you use American terminology now, considering," Eric said.

"Oh," Luke muttered.

"Do you say cell phone instead of mobile phone, too?" Eric asked innocently, only to earn a pinch. "Ow!"

"That's for teasing me," Luke said haughtily, striding forward. Eric chuckled after his friend, shaking his head.

The group carefully made their way to where they'd been working, a large cavern that was damp. Luke waved Eric over.

"This is where we've been digging. It's the center of the cave network, as far as we can tell," he explained, putting on his headlamp and switching it on. Eric pulled one from his own bag, doing the same. "Lander thinks it might have been a library of sorts, but we haven't been able to find anything to prove or disprove that."

"Well, then, let's gets looking," Eric said. Luke smiled, looking at the crew.

"You heard him!"

One hour. That's all it took for Eric, who had a mind for ancient ruins, to get a rough translation of the ones on the walls, which lead to his discovery of a large tablet, about the same size of his chest and two hand-lengths thick.

"Guys! Hey, guys! I found something!" he called, gaining everyone's attention. Luke grinned at one of the other men, Lander.

"And this is why I said we needed him," he said, walking over to where Eric was studying the tablet, running his gloved fingers delicately over the ruins carved into the tablet. There was a lot of them, almost like the writer had a lot to say and needed to cram it all onto this one tablet of stone.

"We need to get this topside and analyze it before the waters come again," Luke decided. The rest nodded in agreement and began to help carry the heavy artifact. Once it was placed inside the tent, Eric did quick charcoal rubbings of the surface so that he'd have a copy of the ruins.

"We've seen similar ruins before, Luke," Eric said excitedly, diving back into his bag and pulling out a book. "Remember the Venrin?"

"How could I forget?" Luke asked quietly.

"They might be related, and that would make sense. After all, the Venrin were all about the spirit world, and these people seem to be too," Eric said, having not heard Luke. "These ruins are _older_ than the Venrin though. A lot like how the Cities of Bronze, Silver, and Gold were older then the Azran. These people, the Garindid you called them? Perhaps a few left here and traveled to where the Venrin had been in an effort to connect closer to the spirits," Eric mused.

"Yeah, but they contacted _ghosts_. Not Spirits," Luke reminded him.

"What's the difference, anyway?" Eric asked.

"Well, according to Pearl, Ghosts are spirits who have made it to the Ghostly Realm and have been infused with ectoplasm, giving them a physical form and abilities. This usually only happens to a spirit who's been around for hundreds of years, give or take, but then, there are always exceptions to that rule. Not all spirits are powerful enough to handle fusing with ectoplasm though, and some fade into Oblivion. Now spirits, they don't have physical forms, which means no power unless they're channeled. This makes them much harder to contact," Luke explained. Eric nodded, following the explanation.

"So in a way, the Venrin were both stronger and weaker than their predecessors," Eric mused.

"Exactly."

"Well, I'll study this," Eric said, holding up the papers. "I have a pretty strong grasp on Venrin Ruins, so I should be able to translate this."

"Thanks," Luke said, glancing at his watch. "It's close to dinner. Let's pack up for the night."

"Sounds good."

…

Dinner at Fey Manor that night was packed. Usually, it was just Phoenix, Maya, Misty, and Josh. Tonight, Pearl, Luke, Amethyst, and her border collie puppy, Sapphire, were there, joined by Eric, Flora, and Violet of course. Apollo, Ema, and their two kids were there as well, with even Athena, though the three defense attorneys were discussing work. This left Ema, Flora, Maya, and Pearl to discuss girl things, while Eric and Luke still conversed about what Luke's group as found so far.

Amy was talking to Violet and petting Sapphire's ears lovingly, slipping the puppy food every now and again while Luke pretended not to hear Sapphire's yelps of thanks. Misty decided to play with the Justice kids: nine-year-old Lexi, and seven-year-old Orpheus.

Josh was still sulking about earlier. Phoenix seemed to notice, and broke off from the impromptu conference with his employees.

"Hey, kiddo. I have a big trial coming up on Saturday. Want to come with and watch?" he asked, deciding to take Miles's advice. Josh quickly looked up.

"Sure. What's it about?" he asked, skootching closer.

"Victim's name was Notry Tere. She was stabbed in the stomach while on the phone. Death was almost instant," Phoenix explained, showing Josh the mugshot of Miss. Tere. Joshua froze in shock, staring at the woman.

She was the same as woman he had tried to help earlier.

"The defendant, our client, is a friend of mine from college, which is why I took the case personally," Phoenix added.

"Er, this friend. Was he the boyfriend?" Josh asked.

"Hah, no. He's her father. The two had apparently argued about her boyfriend though. Wait—" Phoenix froze, looking at Josh. "How'd you know she had a boyfriend?"

"Well… um… I guessed," Josh finished lamely.

"Hm… well, okay…" Phoenix seemed unsure as he studied his son. Apollo's fingers twitched to where he used to wear his bracelet (which was now on Lexi's wrist), while Athena tipped her head to the side, playing with her earring.

"But yeah! Of course I want to come!" Josh said brightly, distracting the three. Phoenix smiled, wrapping an arm around him and including him in the attorneys' discussion. Josh only half listened though as he thought about earlier.

 _Death was almost instant? Then how did I see her earlier?_

He glanced up, and jumped slightly. Staring right at him was a woman in a long, brown kimono, her pale face fully focused on him. As soon as she was noticed, however she simply vanished into thin air.

"Joshua?" Phoenix asked, giving his son a small shake.

"Hm?" he asked, snapping out of his focus.

"Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Just thinking," he said with a smile.

…

After dinner, Luke insisted on going back to the dig to check on it. Eric found himself agreeing, especially after hearing that it might be sabotaged, and went with him.

"So, what kind of sabotage has there been?" Eric asked.

"Unexplained cave-in, our pictures destroyed. That kind of stuff," Luke explained.

"Well, there is a lot of seismic activity in this area, so I don't think the cave-ins are _entirely_ unexplained," Eric pointed out, but Luke was already shaking his head.

"That's the thing. I thought about that, so after the first cave in, I brought a seismologist on board, to watch out for earthquakes and stuff like that. But according to Dr. Terro, the seismologist, there hasn't been a single earthquake in the area since we've started."

"Oh. That's weird."

"I kno—oh no…"

The two men froze as they rounded the turn and spotted the cave. The tent had collapsed, but the two could still see the shape of the large tablet among the canvas and bars.

The entrance itself, however, had caved in. There was no way to enter the cave. Luke darted forward, studying the rocks, before shaking his head.

"No sign of explosives on anything. How did this _happen!?_ "

…

 **A/N:** Tada! Poor, really confused Josh…


	4. Spiritual Affairs

**A/N:** Hey guys! Sorry for the break! I was writing a oneshot for my other account.

One thing to mention: Some spirits, in this story, tend to hang out in the area they died. Others like to roam, but will return to their point of death. It's like an anchor of sorts for them. That's why Josh meets certain people in certain spots.

Review Reply to Gamergirl

OH THANK GOODNESS YOU'VE RETURNED! I WAS SCARED I CHASED YOU AWAY WITH MY LONG BREAK! *sob of relief* No, seriously, that's part of the mystery, isn't it? And I love writing Eric and Luke together, especially since Luke's been in America long enough that he's picked up the dialect and accent without realizing it. The cave in, and how it happens, is _very_ important. All shall be revealed soon. But, just so you know, _ghosts_ will not make an appearance in this story, and spirits are powerless to effect the physical world unless channeled.

Well, here we go!

…

Chapter Three: Spiritual Affairs

Joshua loved weekends. It meant that he could sleep in, and not have to deal with school. This weekend was different, however.

Both he and Misty had to get up early. Misty, Maya, and Pearl were going to Hazakura Temple for training, while Joshua got ready to go to the courthouse with Phoenix, where they would be meeting the others.

"So who's your co-counsel today?" Josh asked as he settled into the train seat next to his father.

"Athena. Apollo's currently working on another case, so he's not going to be there," Phoenix said, going through his court record and evidence. "You don't mind sitting by yourself in the gallery, do you?"

"Of course not," Josh said with a smile. Secretly, he was ecstatic for this chance: it meant Phoenix thought him responsible enough. _Maybe be doesn't believe with Uncle Miles said about me acting out for attention?_ Josh thought with a grin, resting back.

His mind then returned to the victim of the case, Notry Tere. Apparently, she never moved from the alleyway, yet Joshua had seen her two blocks away from where he body was found. Then there was that woman in the brown kimono. He's seen her a few times since dinner the other night, and it was starting to unnerve him, especially since she disappeared right before his eyes each time.

And no one else ever seemed to notice her.

The train reached the station, and the two caught a taxi to the court house. Phoenix immediately left for the defendant's lobby, while Josh made his way into the courtroom.

…

The trial started off normally enough. Phoenix and Athena were facing Flichin Payne, Winston's oldest son, so Josh knew it would end easily enough. Still, it was fun to watch Payne try, and fail, to talk a big game and get one over on Phoenix. Phoenix himself seemed almost bored without the challenge, while Athena was ready to go and pumped, especially since Flichin was as rude and disrespectful as his Uncle Gaspen.

However, while Phoenix was cross-examining the boyfriend, Joshua noticed someone standing just behind him at the witness stand.

It was a larger man, standing at about six foot. He was wearing prison garb, with the identifier of '073D' on the front, and holding a ball and chain in his hands.

Josh couldn't be sure how long the man stood there before he noticed him, but now he wasn't able to look away. The big man looked up and around, and Josh couldn't help but notice the deep sadness in his eyes.

 _Wait… that's… that's Terry Fawles! But he died back when Dad was still in college!_ Josh thought, feeling like the air was knocked out of him. He recognized the man from the pictures Phoenix included with old case files. He shook his head and stood, slipping out of the court room and darted down the hall.

 _What's happening to me? What's going on? Why did I see Miss. Tere, and Terry Fawles!?_

He jabbed at the elevator button over and over until the doors slid open, then quickly jabbed the first floor button in the same fashion. He felt like he was suffocating, and the last thing he needed was someone in the elevator with him.

The doors closed, and he let out a sigh of relief.

Taking a deep breath, he leaned against the back wall, trying to think through what was going on, when he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. He quickly looked over, and yelped, jumping in surprise.

The other man in the elevator jumped as well, turning to look at Joshua. The man had short, dark hair that was streaked through with gray, and square rimmed glasses. He was in a suit, with an attorney's badge pinned the lapel. Obviously, a lawyer then.

"S-sorry, sir. I didn't notice you in here and—" Josh started.

"Wait," the man said, cutting him off, his own eyes wide. "You can see me?"

"Wh-what?" Josh asked, his legs going weak.

"No one's been able to see me… since I died. Well, except for that one time I was channeled…" the man trailed off, looking at Josh. Joshua himself slid to the floor of the elevator, holding his head in his hands.

"Oh god… what is… how… huh?"

"Are you okay?" the man said, dropping to one knee next to the freaking out boy.

"Who are you?" Josh demanded. The man looked shocked, but answered all the same.

"Gregory Edgeworth."

"Oh god," Josh muttered. "Am I _really_ seeing spirits!?" he asked himself softly. The elevator reached his floor, and he launched himself out of it and out the door. He sat on the steps outside the front of the courthouse, and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

 _Okay. I need to focus. So… I see spirits. Why am I freaking out so bad? After all, my mom and sister are Spirit Mediums. I live in a village that made its name through Spirit Channeling. So, yeah, guys aren't supposed to be able to do it. Which… leads me to the question of… why can I?_

Just then, his phone went off, making him nearly jump out of his skin. He pulled it out and checked the message. It was from Phoenix.

' _Court is in recess. Saw you leave. Everything okay?'_

Josh thought for a moment, before nodding to himself.

' _Yeah, just not feeling good. Stomach bug, probably. Mind if I head back to the village?'_

Josh waited for a moment before receiving his answer.

' _Go ahead. I'll check on you once court is over. Feel better!'_

' _Tell Dad I said thanks, Athena. I know he's not this good at texting,_ ' Josh replied, chuckling softly as he got up and headed back to the train station.

Two hours later, he entered the Fey Library, searching for books that mentioned being able to see spirits, and men who had spiritual abilities. He finally found them in the back corner, along with the woman in the brown Kimono.

"Are… you a spirit too?" he asked softly. The woman looked up, pursing her lips for a moment, before smiling at him.

"I am," she said, bowing her head slightly to him. "And you must be the son of the current master."

"Er, yeah," Josh said uncertainly, pulling down a few of the books he had been searching for. The woman smiled, giving Josh the creeps.

"So, Ami was right then," she said softly.

"Wait, what? Ami? As in… Ami Fey?" Josh asked, quickly turning to the woman. She nodded once more.

"Yes. She said the twin of the Master-in-training would become her Spiritual Guide. I was sent here to train him," the spirit said, pushing her hands into her sleeves. "That would be you, my dear."

"Her… Spiritual Guide? But she's already scary powerful with her spiritual abilities. Why would she need me to… er… guide her?"

"The Masters have been, too recently, summoning hostile spirits. One's who would harm them and those around them. Your ability to summon and speak to a spirit before it's channeled makes you very valuable for protecting the Fey Clan," the woman explained. Josh thought back over the stories he's heard.

"You're right…" he said softly, before looking up at the woman. "So… you'll be helping me… help Misty?" he asked. The woman smiled and nodded once again.

"Yes. After all, it's for the good of the Fey clan, correct?"

"Yeah," Josh said with a smile. "So, what do I call you?"

"Just call me 'M.'"

…

Eric sighed as he slid down the piles of rocks, taking a break from clearing debris away from the entrance to the caves. Luke glanced after him, before following his lead.

"I just don't know what to do about this anymore," Luke sighed, brushing his hands off on his pants.

"It is weird," Eric agreed. "Maybe you should ask for security or something?"

"Er…" Luke looked away.

"What?" Eric asked.

"Flying you here… took me over budget already," he admitted with a weak smile, looking back at his friend. Eric face-palmed at that.

"Great. Well, then, maybe the crew should take turns watching the dig at night then," he suggested. Luke nodded.

"That seems like the only thing we can do…" he agreed.

…

 **A/N:** A bit of a shorter chapter, but I needed to establish the connection between M and Josh. I threw in a few cameos for good measure though!

The next chapter will probably be up tomorrow!


	5. Awakening

**A/N:** Alrighty then, happy new year, everyone!

Review Reply to Gamegirl

I'm glad I could surprise you! I wonder how many other people didn't expect that. If you didn't trust her before, you're probably not going to after this chapter either… Happy New Year to you too!

…

Chapter Four: Awakening

Now that Joshua was aware that he could see spirits, he couldn't help but to notice them a lot more.

Which made focusing in history that Monday a lot harder when an old history teacher was hovering next to, complaining about the current teacher's methods.

"Back in my day, we didn't use _Smart Points_ and _Powerboards_ ," he sneered. Josh put his head down, trying to block him out. "We had regular old chalkboards. That we _wrote_ on. With _chalk_."

This wasn't the first time something like this happened. Earlier, in math, he was distracted by some teen guy shooting spitballs at the teacher. Of course, it was a spirit, so the spitball went right through her before disappearing, but it was still distracting to see the projectiles.

In P.E, while he was running around the track, he tried to dodge someone sitting right in his path and was rewarded with a skinned knee, before he realized that person was a spirit.

Now, his head and knee throbbed in unison, and all he wanted was to go home and sleep.

"Hey! You should be paying attention!" the spirit teacher said to him.

"Will you just _leave me alone!?_ " Joshua finally snapped. The room went silent, with everyone staring at him. He glanced around, his cheeks turning red. "Uh…"

"Is there something you'd like to say, Mr. Fey-Wright?" the (living) teacher demanded, his voice icy. Josh bit his lip.

"Uh, sorry, sir. I… must have dozed off," Josh finished lamely. The teacher scowled at him.

"Right. Principal's office. _Now._ "

Josh sighed and stood, collecting his stuff, and heading out. Behind him, he heard snickering from his classmates, and closed his eyes, burning with embarrassment. Thankfully, he got to the office without seeing anymore spirits. He told him the same thing he told the teacher: he dozed off. Of course, that didn't make him happy, but it was better than the alternative: telling him he could see spirits.

No one would believe that.

Unfortunately, the principal called Phoenix. This was the second time, in less than two weeks, that he heard of his son 'acting out.'

Josh knew he was going to hear about it when he got home.

…

He wasn't disappointed. As soon as school let out, he got a text from Phoenix.

 _waa now_

Josh had to reread it a few times to translate, and once he did, his heart sank.

'Wright Anything Agency. Now.'

His phone went off again, and he looked at it.

 _Thanks for covering for me again!_

That one was from Misty. With a sigh, Josh hitched his bag up more on his back, and grabbed a bus to the office.

Athena and Apollo were nowhere to be found when Josh entered the office. Instead, Phoenix was hunched over his desk, writing in a file. He looked up when hearing the door.

"Joshua. Sit," he said, pointing at the chair in front of his desk. Josh winced at the full first name, knowing Phoenix was unhappy.

"What's going on? First, you made a false report. Then falling asleep in class?"

"I didn't make a false report!" Josh argued without thinking. "There was really someone there, who needed help, and—" he cut off at the deep frown from Phoenix, realizing, too late, that he should have kept his mouth shut.

"Joshua, this needs to stop. I don't know what's suddenly gotten into you, but…" he trailed off as Josh looked away. "What's going on with you?"

Josh hesitated, glancing up at Phoenix. _Would he believe me…? Hah. Probably not…_

"Nothing, Dad," Josh said, looking away. Phoenix watched, frustrated, as the room went dark, and chains surrounded his son, five, heavy Psych-locks slamming into place. With a sigh, he stood.

"Get home. I'll see you later."

"Okay, Dad," Josh said, standing and heading for the door.

"Josh," Phoenix said as Josh reached the door. The young man turned.

"Hm?"

"Where's your sister?"

"After school study group," Josh said. Phoenix didn't buy it, though, and scowled.

"We're going to have to work on this lying issue you're suddenly developing, Joshua," he said. Josh winced, but quickly left.

 _I'm totally grounded…_ he thought, pulling out his phone.

 _I'm not covering for you again_ , he texted her, before making his way to the train station, ignoring the texts she sent in reply.

…

"Welcome home, Joshua," M said as he entered his room. He jumped slightly, looking over at the spirit. She noticed the anger on his face. "Whatever is the matter?"

"Well, I'm probably grounded," Josh seethed, flinging his book bag at his bed. "For lying. Because my dear sister just won't tell Mom and Dad about her boyfriend. And because no one would believe me if I told them I could see spirits, so I didn't bother trying. And Dad can see when someone's lying, so…" He flopped down on the bed, rubbing his head.

"I think you should tell your parents," M mused, making Josh sit up.

"What?"

"You have been given a very special gift, Joshua. And, you are a Fey. I believe your parents would believe you, and that you should tell them."

"I-I don't know…" Josh said, before thinking about it. "Though… if I do… Dad might trust me again…" he mused, remembering Phoenix's parting words. He smiled slightly to himself. "It'd probably be for the best. Thanks, M."

"Ah, one thing."

"Hm?"

"Please try not to mention me when you do tell them," M asked.

"Why not?"

"I am not a Fey spirit, yet I roam the halls of Fey Manor. If they knew I was here, they would banish me from the house, leaving me unable to help you. Or your sister," M explained. Joshua, as mad at Misty as he was, still wanted to help her.

"Alright. I understand," Josh said with a small smile.

…

"It's about time we got back in here," Luke sighed, looking around at the caves. It had taken all of Saturday, and most of Sunday to clear away the entrance.

Now he and Eric worked close together, while some of the other crew worked on a different section close by.

"Oh! I finished translating that tablet this morning," Eric said, suddenly remembering.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. So these caves weren't the _home_ to Garindid, but a sort of temple. Their version of a church, basically. They practiced spirit worship. Mediums, at all levels of experience, would come here to train, while the older ones would summon spirits to guide them and to learn about life, and stuff like that," Eric explained.

"And where exactly did they live?" Luke asked. Eric grinned.

"Where Kurain Village is now," he said. Luke chuckled, before thinking about it.

"Then the Garindid left or died out… and hundreds of years later, Ami Fey comes along. She probably sensed that that area is _saturated_ with spiritual energy, and decided to settle down there."

"And the Feys used to use this cave network while training," Eric added, before looking thoughtful. "But… one thing that strikes me as odd is that Ami's blood is so diluted now, after so many generations… so how is it that people like Maya and Pearl are still so powerful?"

"Well, I've noticed that anyone who grows up away from Kurain, despite having Fey blood, doesn't have spiritual powers. Like Sisters Iris and Bikini of Hazakura Temple," Luke said. Eric looked confused.

'Sister Bikini…?' he mouthed to himself.

Luke's eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait… that's it! I mean, yes, mediums go to Hazakura to train, but that's just for the harsh conditions of the inner sanctum. It's to strengthen their bodies more than anything. But here, in this cave, and in Kurain, there must be something, some sort of mineral or something, in the ground that awakens dormant Spiritual powers!" He cupped his chin, pacing. "It's probably much stronger here than in the village, so the decline in Spirit Mediums most likely started after they stopped coming to these caves to train…"

"So what does it mean?" Eric asked. Luke stopped his pacing and looked up at him.

"It means that we just figured out how to help the mediums of Kurain," he said.

…

 **A/N:** Uh-oh… Phoenix is an angry daddy…


	6. Disbelief

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter!

Something I forgot to mention until it was pointed out to me that I didn't (thanks again, _Mike AZ 2_ ) is that Trucy is now 32, since she was already 17 when the twins were born, and they're 15 now. She's not in this story because she's on tour for her wildly successful magic acts.

Alrighty, no guest review replies this time. One with the show!

…

Chapter Five: Disbelief

Dinner that night was a quiet affair. It was just the Fey-Wrights tonight. Phoenix and Maya were muttering to each other, too quiet for the twins to hear, while Misty sulked, having gotten in trouble about her boyfriend.

Joshua was feeling a wide array of emotions. He was still hurt about his conversation with Phoenix earlier, while nervous about telling them about his new found abilities. He glanced up, to where M was standing in the corner, watching the dinner.

As soon as she finished, Misty swept from the room, stalking to her own bedroom. Josh shook his head, standing and grabbing some dishes. Phoenix looked up, surprised for a moment, before standing, grabbing a few of the dishes, and following his son into the kitchen.

"Hey… Dad?" Josh said softly.

"Yes?"

"Can I talk to you and Mom once we're done?" Josh put his dishes in the sink, turning on the water. "It's… about what's been going on with me," he added, staring at the water as it slowly forced the food of the plates. Phoenix looked at him for a moment, surprised yet again, before smiling slightly.

"Of course," he said. Josh smiled slightly, scrubbing at the dishes.

Once he was done, he returned back to the dining room, where Maya and Phoenix still were.

"Well, sweetie?" Maya asked, holding an arm out for him. Josh took a deep breath and walked over, sitting next to her. Maya smiled and wrapped her arm around him. "What's been going on?"

"Well…" Josh muttered, fiddling with the hem of his hoodie sleeve. He spotted a loose thread and started plucking at it. "There was a reason behind… the 'false report'… and… my 'falling asleep' at school," he said.

Maya and Phoenix glanced at each other, wondering where this was going. Josh plucked more at the thread, pulling it out a little. Finally, Josh took a deep breath and looked up.

"I… met Notry Tere. After she was stabbed. She was in the street, and everyone was ignoring her, so I made that call to _help her,"_ he said in a quick rush. "But… as I figured out, she wasn't really there. She was already dead in that alleyway." He took a deep breath. "It was her _spirit._ I'm… seeing… spirits. Not just her. I see them at school, and in the courthouse, and in town…" he trailed off at the confused looks he was getting from the two of them. "That's… everything that's been happening. And what's been going on with me…"

Phoenix's shoulders dropped and disappointment curled in his stomach as the world grew dark again, and chains surrounded Joshua once more, sealed shut by five, heavy Psych-locks. It was the office all over again.

Only this time, he didn't think Josh was lying to him to get out of trouble or cover for anyone. Maya tightened her arm as she and Phoenix exchanged worried looks.

"Josh… I know your sister has… been getting a lot of attention lately, from both me and the elders," Maya began, "and yeah, she's going to be the Master of the Kurain Channeling Technique, but—"

"Wait," Josh said, stiffening. "What does this have to do with—" Josh cut himself off, his eyes widening as he realized what his parents were thinking. He suddenly stood, throwing Maya's arm off of his shoulders.

"I can't believe you don't believe me!" he said. "I… I just…" Josh shook his head and darted out of the room.

Maya jumped to her feet. "Joshua!" she called after him. She slowly sank back down to sit next to Phoenix, who had a grim look on his face.

"What are we going to do…?" she asked him. "We know, only too well, how jealousy can twist someone. Especially… a Fey."

…

Josh threw open his bedroom door as he entered, then slammed it closed again, dropping onto his bed.

"I can't believe them!" he snapped at the ceiling.

"I know, my dear," a voice suddenly said from the corner. He jumped up, spotting M.

"Jesus-!" he gasped. "Don't do that," he said, before shaking his head and standing, his anger driving him across his room. He reached the wall, turned on his heel, and paced across to the other wall. "I just… I can't believe them! I don't care about her becoming the Master. I never have!" He kicked one of the shoes of his floor, sending it skittering into the wall. M watched him pace, her hands hidden in her sleeves, a sympathetic look on her face.

"They didn't believe you?" she asked.

"No. Of course not! _Why would they!?_ " he snapped, grabbing one of his pillows and punching it. "They think I'm jealous of Misty, just because she's going to be so powerful one day, and blah blah blah." He accentuated each 'blah' with a punch to the pillow. "Like I've _ever_ cared about Kurain politics or have ever been jealous of her. I'm just tired of them _thinking I'm lying!_ "

"I suppose it makes sense," M sighed. "It was foolish of me to suggest that you told them."

"What do you mean?" Josh asked, chucking his pillow over his shoulder, back at his bed. His anger was slowly starting to ebb.

"Fey men have never had spiritual abilities," M reminded him. "You are the first man of the Fey line to have this gift. They just don't understand. Perhaps you need to prove it to them?"

"But how?" Josh asked, sitting down next to his pillow.

"Training. Train your body, your mind, and your spirit, and you will be able to cast spiritual spells that they'll be able to see," M explained. Josh tugged at the loose thread on his sleeve.

"Okay… will you teach me?" Josh asked. M smiled warmly with a nod.

"Of course. That's why Ami sent me to you, after all." She motioned for him to sit on the floor in the center of his room. "Let us begin with meditation."

Josh nodded and stood, sitting cross-legged on his floor. After a moment, he took a deep breath and straightened his back, putting his hands together in front of his chest in the same way he'd seen Misty, Maya, Pearl, and Amethyst do countless times.

"Like this?" he asked.

"Perfect," M said with a smile. "Now, focus."

Josh did as he was told, and soon found himself in a deep state of meditation. He took to it immediately.

…

The tension was much lower in the Fey-Triton household as Luke and Pearl put their daughter to bed.

"Good night, sweetie," Luke said, kissing the top of Amethyst's head. Amy's puppy, Sapphire, barked, jumping up on his leg. "And you," he added, rubbing his ears with a chuckle. Amy hesitated looking between Luke and Pearl. Pearl noticed.

"Yes, Amethyst?" she asked. Sapphire, sensing her master's uneasiness, darted over and leaned against her legs.

"It's just… I'm worried about Josh," the ten-year-old admitted, looking down.

"Oh?" Pearl asked, going and kneeling in front of her. "Why's that?"

"He's just… he's been acting funny. And I hear him talking to… himself? Thin air? I dunno," Amy said, looking down at her feet. Pearl and Luke glanced at each other, before Pearl smiled, giving Amethyst a hug.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Amy, but I'll talk to Mystic Maya about this, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy," Amy said, smiling brightly, before leading Sapphire back to her room. Luke and Pearl retired to their own room.

"Huh. That's… curious," Luke mused about Amethyst's worries as he pulled his hat off, hanging it up on a hook near his wardrobe. He then changed into his pajamas. Pearl walked over to her side of the closest, changing into her nightgown.

"You know, Maya mentioned something like this earlier…" Pearl mused. Luke looked up.

"Hm?"

"Apparently, Josh has been acting strange," Pearl started as the two of them snuggled under their shared blanket. "And today, he told her and Phoenix that he… can see spirits."

"Huh. Really?" Luke asked, curiosity appearing in his eyes.

"Yes. But men of the Fey line don't have spiritual abilities," Pearl reminded Luke. "Also… when Josh told them this… he was covered in Psych-locks."

"Oh…" Luke muttered, before thinking. "Well, maybe he _can_ see spirits."

"Huh?"

"Think about it like this. Fey men might very well have spiritual abilities that are just dormant. Eric and I hypothesized that the grounds Kurain was built on, and the caves we're studying, might have the ability to unlock dormant Spiritual abilities. As for the Psych-locks… well, I'm not sure," Luke explained.

"That's a great idea, Luke, but… if that was the case, it should have awakened not just Josh's, but all Fey mens' abilities from the time Ami founded Kurain," Pearl reminded him.

"Oh…" Luke muttered, sounding disappointed. "Right."

…

 **A/N:** And there's the end of this one. ONTO THE NEXT ONE!


	7. Waterfalls and Caves

**A/N:** Here we go!

…

Chapter Six: Waterfalls and Caves

Joshua was only grounded for a month. In that time, he kept to himself while at school, growing more skilled at recognizing spirits as opposed to the living, and ignoring them. All of his training with M helped with this, as it refined his spiritual abilities to the point where he could sense the dead.

After school, he would come home and train. Most days, it was meditation, which he could now slip in and out of on a whim. It wasn't until just recently, at the end of the month, that M decided Josh was ready to start studying Spiritual Spells.

"So, this is a book for beginners?" Josh asked as he sat at his desk, opening a slim volume.

"Yes," M said. "All of the Mystics study spells from this one first."

"But I've never seen Misty study this," Josh said, thumbing through the volume.

"Ah, yes," M sighed sadly. "I meant back in my day, unfortunately. The spiritual training of mediums declined after Mystic Misty vanished two generations ago. Without a proper teacher, many traditions were lost with the current Master."

"Oh. Maybe… once I learn these, I can teach them to Misty," Josh said with a smile as he opened the book to the first page, starting his study. M moved closer, reading over Joshua's shoulder.

…

Two days later, Joshua decided to try a new type of meditation. One he'd watch Maya and Misty do numerous times.

Meditation under a waterfall.

This was something Josh decided to do on his own. He could feel his spiritual abilities growing with each spell he learned (and he was learning them fairly quickly), and with each time he meditated.

M said she needed to check out a spiritual disturbance nearby, and had been absent since yesterday, so Joshua was on his own as he walked out of town and down to Meditation Falls, thankful no one was there.

"This is going to suck," he muttered, dropping his bag, which had extra clothes and a warm, fluffy towel in a dry spot. He pulled off his shirt, socks, and shoes, took a deep breath, and stepped into the lake that the waterfall drained into.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! _Coooooooooold_!" he whined under his breath, holding his hands up, away from the water. His skin erupted in goosebumps. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. "Part of the training, part of the training, part of the training…" he repeated as a mantra as he made his way over to the waterfall. The noise thundered against his eardrums as he grew close, the spray stinging coldly against his bare skin. He took a deep breath, turned his back on the waterfall, and took a step back, pressing his hands together in front of his chest, his fingers forming the meditation position.

The water washed over Josh, pounding away at his head and shoulders. He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing. Entering a state of meditation was a lot harder while freezing his butt off, but he finally managed it.

...

Misty carefully walked down the path to Meditation Falls, frustrated. Phoenix had allowed her to keep dating her boyfriend, but come to find out, the jerk was cheating on her! She found that out yesterday, and decided today that she needed a heavy dose of meditation to clear her mind.

Also, she decided not to tell Phoenix about him cheating on her.

She swung her bag off her shoulder to drop it in her normal spot, when noticing Josh's bag there.

"Huh?" she muttered, before looking up at the falls. Josh stood under the waterfall, trembling slightly at the cold, but clearly meditating. Misty watched him for a few moments before smiling slightly. She pulled off her shoes and the ribbon that held her hair up, and changed into her meditation robes, before stepping into the water.

Used to the cold, she quickly walked over to where her brother was, and shook his shoulder. His eyes snapped open.

"M-M-Misty…?" he chattered, before gasping slightly. Misty giggled at him.

"How long have you been out here?" Misty asked.

"Er…"

"Apparently long enough. Come on." She giggled again, taking his arm and pulling him out of the water. He let her lead him to the shore and put his towel around his shoulders. She used her own towel to dry his spiky hair.

"So, what were you doing, anyways?" Misty asked, sitting next to him once she was done.

"Meditating," Josh said, pulling his phone from his bag and checking the time. "Whoa. For, uh… four hours," he said. Misty shook her head.

"You lasted four hours? You're not supposed to meditate under a waterfall more than two," she said. "Besides, what are you doing meditating anyways?"

Josh glanced up at her, hesitant on telling her, especially after their parents' reactions. Misty studied him, then smiled.

"You know what, forget it. Just, promise me one thing, okay?" Misty asked. Josh nodded.

"What's that?"

"I've been doing this type of meditating for a long time. Long enough that I automatically know when two hours are up. So… if you want to mediate under the waterfall again, make sure I'm there, okay?" she asked. Josh smiled warmly.

"Sure."

…

The next week saw the twins meditating together a lot, be it in one of their rooms, or at the waterfall. Misty was impressed with how much of a natural he was, and found she actually enjoyed the time with her brother.

Time that, once she started training to become the Master, became far and few between.

It also seemed that the more time Josh spent with Misty, the less time M was around. Josh worried a bit about that, wondering what that spiritual disturbance could have been, but continued training and studying on his own.

"Hey, Nick, do you know where the kids are?" Maya asked one morning, popping her head into his home study as she walked by. Phoenix looked up.

"Uh, I saw them go out, but they said they'd stay in the village," Phoenix replied.

"Oh. I need Misty to sit in on a channeling session. Can you go find her?"

"Sure," Phoenix said, getting up. He grabbed his suit jacket, pulling it on as he stepped out of Fey Manor.

It didn't take long to find the twins, though when he did, he was surprised. Both were at Mediation Falls, meditating. Phoenix smiled slightly at seeing the two spending time together, but was really confused as to why Joshua, of all people, was undergoing spiritual training.

Rigorous spiritual training at that.

Phoenix thought back to the night Josh said he could see spirits, and the Psych-locks that had appeared. It hadn't been brought up again after that, but he couldn't help but wonder.

Reaching into his pocket, he gripped his Magatama tightly, focusing on Josh.

The world grew dark around him, chains and locks appearing once more, showing he still hid a secret.

But the locks, and the chains themselves, were different. The chains were slowly moving around Josh, while the locks pulsed, almost like heartbeats.

They also felt… different. Not like the Black Psych-locks, but… off. Almost like they had been altered by some kind of power…

 _I'll have to look into that later…_ Phoenix thought, letting go of the Magatama and cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Joshua! Misty!" he called, using Athena-volume, which was only about two decibels quieter than Apollo-volume. The twins both opened their eyes, coming out of their meditation.

"Yeah, Dad?" they called in unison. Phoenix chuckled.

"Your mother needs you to sit in on a channeling session, Misty," Phoenix said, lowering his voice as they moved closer. He passed them their towels as they got out of the water. Misty grinned.

"Cool. I'll go as soon as I'm ready," she said. Josh bit his lip slightly, looking up at Phoenix.

"Hey, Dad? Think Mom will let me sit in too?" he asked. Misty smiled more, while Phoenix looked at him in confusion.

"Um, I guess. You'll have to ask her," he said. Josh grinned.

"Cool. Thanks Dad," he said, walking beside Misty as they headed back to the Manor.

Despite his confusion, Phoenix watched them with a warm, proud smile. It had been ages since he'd seen those two so close. Perhaps it wasn't jealousy at all that Josh was feeling, but just wanting something in common with his sister so that they could spend time together again, now that she was so busy with her training.

Phoenix couldn't wait to tell Maya.

…

Luke sat back on his heels, wiping sweat from his forehead on the back of his hand.

"I can't believe we've actually found a full skeleton," he breathed, moving a little more dust from the fossil with a brush, his hands deft with the work.

"How many times are you going to say that?" Eric asked, laughing.

"It's just such a great discovery!" Luke protested. "I mean, finally, we can see what _type_ of human they were. Homo Sapien? Homo Erectus? Ardipithecus? Or a link in the human evolutionary chain that has yet to be discovered? We never had this chance with the Azran, or anything else either of us has discovered since. Isn't this exciting!?" Luke explained. Eric quirked an eyebrow at him, before grinning.

"You're right, it's bloody awesome. And it's right outside of the flood zone, so it'll be safe," Eric added.

"Exactly."

"Hey, guys! It's almost time to wrap it up. High tide is due to come in in five minutes," one of the other scientists called.

"Right, thanks!" Luke called.

Just then, there was a deep rumble. The whole cave shook, causing a few of the men to lose their balance.

"Everybody! Out! Now!" Luke called, grabbing his gear and shoving it into his bag. He glanced back at the fossilized skeleton, hating that they had to leave it, but followed after the crew as they ran towards the entrance.

They almost made it. They rounded the bend, and the entrance was just in sight, when, in a flash of light, the cave rumbled more. Rocks shook loose from roof above the entrance, and dropped, building a barrier that prevented the scientists from getting through.

"Oh no…" Luke gasped, halting as they reached it. Eric climbed up the pile of rocks, but shook his head.

"There's no weak points at all. And…"

"And all of our excavation machinery is on the outside," Luke added as Eric slid down. "Which means… we're trapped."

…

 **A/N:** Some cute sibling bonding stuff… then THAT.

Things are really picking up now! And we're only at the midpoint of the story!


	8. The Meaning of Trust

**A/N:** Okay, not going to lie, this story is a lot more popular than I thought it would be, considering the focus is on OCs, rather than the canon characters (even if they are the kids of the canon character). I just want to thank everyone for reading!

Now then, here we go with the next chapter!

…

Chapter Seven: The Meaning of Trust

By the time it was discovered the entrance to the caves had collapsed, it was too late to call for help from the city. So, instead, the men of the village gathered together to discuss a plan for helping the crew stuck in the caves, Phoenix being one of them.

"Luke has been searching for a map or some kind of reference for ages. One just doesn't exist," he explained in exasperation to the room. "They had a cartographer working on drawing a map, but it was incomplete due to the fact that they never actually saw the whole cave system."

"Well, then we need to clear out the debris from the entrance," one of the men suggested. "They left a lot of the heavier excavation machinery outside.

"That's a great idea, but we have no idea how to use it," another man countered. "Heck, I think Triton's the only one in the village who even knows how to drive."

"Heh, probably," Phoenix agreed with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head. He then sighed, dropping his arm and looking down. Fear and worry swirled through him at the thought of anyone being trapped in those caves, let alone two of his friends. Flora's and Pearl's reactions didn't help either.

And god… the thought of telling Violet and Amethyst scared him.

"Dad! Hey, Dad!" Josh called, slipping into the room and darting over to him. "I think I know how we can help the crew," he said.

"Oh?" Phoenix asked, looking at his son.

"Mhm. There's a back entrance. It's grown over and all, but I know where we can find it. I can lead a team there to help them out," Josh said brightly.

"How do you know this?" Phoenix asked.

"Er…" Josh hesitated, and Phoenix caught a glimpse of those shifting, pulsing Psych-locks again. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a frown, remembering what Miles said a month ago.

… _Maybe Joshua needs some more attention… he's acting out to get your attention…_

"Joshua, I'm sorry, but this is _not_ the time to be acting out for attention. Lives are at stake," Phoenix said, his voice a lot sharper then he meant. Josh took a step back, his eyes widening in a hurt expression. Phoenix looked at him, and immediately regretted saying those words out loud.

"Josh—"

"Forget it," Josh snapped, running from the room. Phoenix sighed, letting out a sigh. He then turned to the rest of the room, guilt now eating away at him too.

…

Josh ran into his room and quickly looked around, before grabbing his book bag.

"They didn't believe you?" M asked from where she stood in the corner of his room. She had returned just after they found out about the cave in. She knew where a back entrance was, and offered to take him and a team there herself to help the crew.

"Of course not," Josh snapped, grabbing a spare change of clothes and his flashlight. He shoved them into his bag, before stopping, rubbing the back of his hand against his eyes as his vision became blurry.

 _Acting out for attention? He really thinks I'd do that… at a time like this!?_

He grabbed his book bag and walked swiftly to the kitchen, grabbing a few snacks and a lot of water bottles. He then returned to his room, changing into hiking boots and a heavier jacket, having heard Luke mention that it got cold down in the caves.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Go away!" he snapped, thinking it was his mom. Or worse, his dad.

The person didn't listen though. Instead, the door opened. In came Misty, Amethyst, and Sapphire.

"Josh? Where are you going?" Misty gasped, seeing his bag of supplies.

"To the caves. I know of a back entrance. I tried to tell Dad, but he wouldn't believe me," Josh said, swinging the bag onto his shoulder. Misty caught his arm.

"You can't go alone. How do you know this, anyway?" she asked. Josh hesitated, not wanting to tell her, only for her not to believe him, just like everyone else. He tried to gently tug his arm away, but Misty wouldn't let go. "Please, Josh."

"I… I can see spirits. And one, who's been helping me train with my abilities… she knows of a back entrance and planned to show me," Josh explained.

"Oh!" Amethyst gasped. "Was that why you were talking to thin air? It was actually a spirit?" she asked brightly. Josh looked at her, surprised.

"Yes, actually…" he said.

"And why you've been acting so strange, and why you started meditating. Josh, this is amazing!" Misty said, hugging him tightly. Stunned, he hugged her back.

"So… you two believe me?" he asked. Misty pulled back and looked up at him.

"Of course. Come on, we have some lives to save," she said, steely determination entering her eyes. He smiled warmly, hugging her back.

"Right. Amethyst—"

"Sapphire and I will stay back, to cover for you," she said with a smile, before looking down sadly. "Just… save Daddy the best you can, okay?"

"Of course," Josh said, hugging her, before looking at M. "We're ready when you are."

"Of course," M said smoothly with a smile. "This way."

…

"It's getting late, Luke. If we keep pushing ourselves without food or water, someone's going to collapse," the medic in the crew said, catching Luke's arm. Luke hesitated, looking back at him, before sighing.

"You're right. Of course you are," he muttered. "This spot is probably as good as any."

"There's no water deposits on the wall. I'd say it's above the flood zone," Eric added.

"Alright then. We'll stop here for the night!" Luke called. Gracious groans erupted from the men as they sank down. Luke himself sat heavily, resting his back against the wall.

"You okay?" Eric asked, sitting next to him. "You've been pushing yourself pretty hard since the cave in.

"Yeah…" Luke sighed.

"What is it?" Eric demanded, before realization appeared in his eyes. "Oh… I get it. You feel guilty."

"Yes. I'm the one who's supposed to be responsible for the team. I'm the team leader! But so far, it's been issue after issue," Luke explained.

"Oh, I'm sure none of this lot blames you. So stop blaming yourself," Eric said. Luke smiled slightly at him.

"I'll try to keep that in mind," he said, before pulling out his phone.

"Your mobile? Oh!" Eric gasped, grabbing his own from his pocket. "Maybe we can call… no, we can't," he sighed, noticing the lack of service. Luke chuckled.

"We are thousands of feet underground. What made you think we'd have cell service?" he asked. Eric rolled his eyes.

"Alright, smarty-pants. Why'd you pull yours out then?" he demanded.

"To check the time."

"Oh."

The group soon fell quiet. No one was exactly asleep, but everyone was too tired and too wound up to keep talking.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light from above, followed by a rumble. Luke was the first to realize what was about to happen.

"Everyone, move!" he yelled. The men scrambled, getting away from the area as rocks began to fall.

Moments later, a pile of rocks stood where the men had sat moments before. Luke sighed, before glancing at his men.

"Everyone okay?

The men muttered variations of "Yes" and "What the hell?" Luke nodded, before looking at the medic.

"I don't think we're allowed to camp for the night," he admitted. The medic sighed as well and Luke looked back at the fallen rocks.

"Well, I guess there's nothing to it. Come on," he said, leading them deeper into the caves.

…

 **A/N:** Poor Phoenix. He's really going to be kicking himself in the butt soon…


	9. M Stands For

**A/N:** Here I am! Once again! Okay, nothing much really to say here. Except for the fact that you'll all probably hate me after this chapter, but that's okay!

…ONWARDS!

…

Chapter Eight: M Stands For…

"That… was quite… the hike…" Josh panted as he and Misty caught their breaths in front of the second entrance to the caves. They had just climbed up half of Mt. Mitama (at least, it felt like it), following M.

Finally, the twins caught their breath. Josh looked up at M, while Misty turned, taking in the view of the village from so high up.

"Wow…" she breathed. "I should bring my paints up here some time."

"It'd be nice," Josh said with a smile, glancing over at her, before looking at the entrance. "Ready?"

"I was born ready!" Misty replied with a coy smile that was so much like their mother's. Josh grinned back, and stepped inside.

"Whoa…" Misty muttered as they looked around. "There must be so many spirits here… I'm getting goosebumps."

"There is," Josh said, watching as they swirled around the cave, shrieking and yelling. He winced as a few got close, crying out with harsh voices. "And… they're angry."

"Do try to keep up," M called, walking forward. Josh nodded.

"Right. Common, Misty," he said, taking her hand and following their guide. Every now and again, Josh would wince slightly as one shouted close to his ear.

All of a sudden, all at once, the spirits seemed to realize Josh could see and hear them. Most of them suddenly swarmed him, reaching out to him and calling for his help, the volume and pitch of their voices rising. Josh let go of Misty's hand to cover his ears.

"Ugh!" he muttered, barely able to hear himself think over the cacophony of noise they were making.

"Josh?" Misty asked in confusion, not able to see or hear the spirits.

"What are… what are you guys doing! I don't… think I can help you," Josh said, swatting at them like he was swatting at flies. "M? M!? Where are you?" he called. M moved closer, pushing some of the spirits out of the way.

"Right here," she said.

"I… with whatever's going on, I don't think you'll be able to lead me anywhere, Josh. Maybe I should channel this M person, and she can use my body to lead you," Misty suggested.

"A-are you sure?" he asked, trying to focus on her through all of the noise around him. Misty nodded.

"Yes. I just need to know her real name and what she looked like," Misty explained. Josh nodded, thinking for a moment. He swung his bag off his back, wincing at a particularly loud shout next to his ear, and pulled out his sketch book, flipping open to a portrait he drew of his teacher.

"There's looks. M…?"

M hesitated a moment, before smiling warmly.

"Morgan Fey," she said.

"Her name is Morgan Fey— wait…" Josh remembered her saying she wasn't a Fey spirit and was about to point it out, when one of the spirits screeched in his ear. "AH!" he gasped, grabbing his ear. By the time he looked up, Misty had already channeled Morgan. Using Misty's abilities, she cast a spell that washed over him, chasing the angry spirits away. Josh sighed in relief.

"Thanks. But I thought you said you weren't a Fey spirit," he demanded. Morgan sighed sadly.

"Have you ever heard of me?" she asked.

"Well… no," Josh admitted.

"That is because I was framed for doing something I did not, and erased from the archives. Have you ever heard of Dahlia Hawthorn?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Josh said, nodding to that one. "But only that no one was ever to channel her, after what happened last time. Not that I know what happened last time…"

"They said I was the one who came up with the plan for her to be channeled, and to kill the future Master. Could you believe it? Me, wanting to kill my own niece?" she said sadly, wiping her eyes on the hem of Misty's sleeve. Josh's shoulders slumped slightly.

"No, I guess not," he said, looking down. Morgan nodded.

"Right. This way," she said, leading him forward again.

Every now and again, an angry spirit would try to latch onto Josh. Morgan, noticing when he'd flinch at that, would cast the same spell as earlier, chasing it away.

Finally, they made it to a large cavern, standing on a small ledge. Hundreds of feet below was water, thanks to it currently being high tide. The ledge stretched along the wall for about a hundred yards before the path went back into a side chamber.

Morgan carefully walked forward, with Josh following. As they reached the midpoint, Joshua suddenly sensed a new presence beside him. He glanced over, and found himself thankful that it wasn't an angry spirit.

In fact, it was a very familiar one; Misty Fey. His grandmother, the one his sister was named after.

"Do not say anything. Do not react. Look forward," she said quickly. Josh did as he was told, trusting her fully. "You and your sister are in grave danger."

 _What!?_ Josh wanted to demand information from her, but remembered her instructions.

"Morgan Fey _did_ plot to kill your mother. It was her plan, originally. Dahlia Hawthorn just modified it. If I am correct, she doesn't plan to give your sister's body back," Misty sighed. Josh glanced slightly over at her, moving just his eyes. He now understood why she didn't want him to react.

And if he was going to trust either of them, it'd be his own grandmother – the previous master of the Channeling Technique – over Morgan, who had lied to him from the start.

"What you need to do now, Joshua, is stay calm and cast a Spirit Severing Spell. Please tell me you have a Magatama," she said. Josh reached into his pocket, running his fingers over the smooth stone. Even though he was unable to use the Magatama in the same way his father could, he still made sure to carry it with him.

Just in case.

Misty saw the reaction and nodded.

"Good." She quickly explained the spell to him. He smiled slightly, mouthing 'thank you,' before stopping.

"This is far enough, Morgan," he said. The woman turned to face him.

"Excuse me? If we don't hurry, Joshua, the crew could be in danger."

"The only people in immediate danger are me and my sister. Get out of her body!" he snapped, pulling the Magatama from his pocket with his left right hand. It was glowing red, as was his right hand.

Morgan sneered and made a few quick hand movements, a black glow appearing around her fingers. Josh gasped as he suddenly felt cold, the red glow cutting off. He looked down at his hands in surprise, before looking up and around.

The colors of the world had faded, the sharp edges had dulled. Misty Fey was gone. As was every other spirit in the cave. It was just him and Morgan.

"A Spiritual Block. That is what just happened to you," she explained, advancing on Josh. The glow around her fingers switched from black to white. "It was in the second book you studied, with me reading over your shoulder." Josh backed away from Morgan, real fear entering him now. Morgan continued advancing, until Josh was standing at the very edge of the ledge they were on, with nothing but hundreds of feet of air between him and the water.

"You were so gullible, Joshua. So eager to learn. Such a useful tool. But now, your usefulness has run out." Her hand shot forward, her fingers touching the center of his forehead. There was a flash of light, and Josh's eyes grew blank. Vacant.

"Good bye, Joshua Fey-Wright," Morgan sneered, pushing him off the ledge.

…

 **A/N:** This chapter gave me chills.

Just saying.

And in case you missed it, Morgan was cut from the Fey archives due to her crimes against the Fey clan, which is why the twins didn't know who she was.


	10. Black Psych-Locks

**A/N** : Please don't hate me! I'm er… offering you the next chapter? Heh?

…

Chapter Nine: Black Psych-locks

Luke, Eric, and the rest made their way slowly along the edge they were walking on. To one side of them was a sheer rock face. To the other was a drop of 10 feet to the water.

"Guys. What's that?" one of the men called. Luke glanced back at him to see that he was pointing up.

"Oh my god. It's a kid!" another yelled. Luke quickly looked up, and his heart plummeted.

"Joshua!?" he yelled, just as the boy hit the water.

"I got him!" Eric yelled, flinging his bag at one of the guys and diving in. Under water was dark. He couldn't see anything at all, so he quickly swam back to the surface.

"Torch! I need a torch, now!" he demanded. Luke, the only one who knew what he was talking about, quickly grabbed his flashlight and threw it out to Eric. He caught it, switched it on, and dove back under, shining it around. Not too far from him, but sinking fast, he spotted Josh and dove after him. He wrapped his arms around the boy's waist, twisted in the water, and quickly swam to the surface, coughing and gasping for air. Josh let out a few weak coughs, enough to expel the water from his lungs, before he went limp.

"Bloody hell, Josh. I need you to help me," Eric gasped, trying desperately to keep them afloat. Josh didn't respond. "Bugger," he grounded out, before focusing on keeping Josh's face out of the water and getting to the edge. Luke reached down and took Josh from Eric, stripping him of his book bag and jacket, then quickly rolling him onto his back.

The medic of the crew was immediately all over the boy, checking his pulse and airways. Luke noticed his eyes were open slightly.

"Josh? Josh, are you awake?" he called. There was no response.

The Medic quickly moved to the boy's face, pulling open his eyelids and checking them with a light. The pupils shrunk and dilated, showing that he was actually awake. He then checked the boy's head, before sitting back.

"No head injury. There's not even a small bump," he explained, before pinching the fleshy part of the boy's arm. Josh jerked slightly, reacting to the pain, but otherwise stayed as he was. Confused, the medic looked up.

"He is awake, and his body is reacting correctly to stimuli, but… he's nonresponsive."

"What does that mean, Doc?" Luke asked, his voice saturated with worry.

"That he needs medical attention right away. Come on, let's get him out of these wet clothes so he won't freeze," he said. Luke nodded, first checking Josh's bag. Thankfully, there was an extra set of dry clothes in a waterproof bag.

"Smart, Josh," he breathed, taking care of changing Josh himself. The medic made Eric change too. Once they were ready, Luke took Josh on his back, and they continued on their way.

…

Two days. It has been two days since the cave in and the twins disappearing. In the wee-hours of the morning, yesterday, the archeologist crew stumbled into Kurain village, with Luke carrying the unresponsive Joshua on his back. Following the instructions of the medic, Phoenix and Maya quickly rushed the boy to the hospital.

Amethyst, scared, admitted to Phoenix that both Josh and Maya had gone to the caves.

Luke and Eric said they never saw Misty.

Now, Joshua was asleep in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines that measured his vitals. Maya sat next to the bed, running her fingers over the boy's knuckles.

Phoenix paced the room, answering his phone every time it rang, demanding updates. Every time was the same thing.

Nothing.

"Nick…" Maya said softly as Phoenix jammed the end button on his phone. Anything else she might have said was lost, though, as Josh made the smallest noise. Both parents looked at him. Josh squeezes his eyes shut slightly, licking his lips a little, before peeking his eyes open, squinting them against the light.

Phoenix was immediately at the light switch, dimming the ones above Josh.

"Joshua?" Maya called softly. Josh rolled his head slowly to face her, his dark blue eyes still slightly glazed.

"Mom…?" he muttered. Maya gasped, putting a hand to her mouth for a moment, before carefully hugging him.

"Oh, thank goodness! We were so worried!" she cried. Josh simply blinked in confusion, looking around.

"What… happened…?" he asked, looking up at Phoenix. Phoenix finally ceased his pacing, sitting at the foot of Josh's bed.

"Well, I was wrong. You did know a second way into the caves. Something happened though, and… you became unresponsive. For two days. In fact, this is the first time you've been aware since Luke carried you back to the village," he explained. Maya finally let Josh go, sniffling. "I'm… sorry I didn't believe you, Josh," Phoenix added, looking down.

"It's… fine, Dad." Josh smiled slightly at him. "But where's Misty? I thought she'd be here with you guys."

"Josh… we should be asking you the same thing," Phoenix said, hating to throw this on him when he'd just waken up. Josh simply looked puzzled, rather than worried.

"What do you mean? Misty stayed home. I went to the cave by myself," he said. Phoenix sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Joshua," he started, opening his eyes. His words died in his throat. The room had darkened around him and Joshua. The Psych-locks were back in place.

But this time was different. The chains were still, the locks stationary. Nothing like before when the chains moved and the locks pulsed like hearts.

There was just one more, little thing.

These locks were _black_.

"Yeah, Dad?" Josh asked, bringing Phoenix back to the room. He stood.

"I… I need some air," he stammered, before darting out of the hospital room. Maya stood, as though to follow him, but was stopped by Josh's grip on her sleeve.

"Mom… don't leave me, please?" he asked, sounding two again. Maya sighed and took her seat again, brushing a loose strand of hair out of Josh's face.

"Of course not. Don't tell me you're scared of hospitals though," she teased. Josh's face turned bright red.

"O-of course not!"

…

Phoenix moved down the hall a little before resting back against the wall, his face buried in his hands.

He didn't know what to do anymore. Or if he could even trust the Magatama at this point. After all, Josh hadn't lied about knowing that second entrance, yet they appeared. Now they were black. What could Joshua be hiding from _himself?_

"Nick?" a worried voice asked. He lowered his hands.

"Hey Pearls. Luke," he muttered.

"What's wrong? Is Josh okay?" Luke demanded, worried.

"He's fine. He's awake and aware and responsive and all," Phoenix explained.

"Then… what's the issue?" Pearl asked, tipping her head slightly to the side.

"He swears that Misty stayed home to cover for him," Phoenix said.

"Yeah, but Amethyst said Misty went with him," Pearl said.

"Exactly. And this time… black Psych-locks appeared around him," Phoenix explained. Pearl's eyes widened.

"Maybe… that's why…"

"Maybe that's why what?" Phoenix asked.

"Nick… I know you can't sense this, but over the past month, since he first told you he could see spirits, his spirituality has been growing. Getting stronger. Extremely balanced. Almost to the level of a Master. And Amy's seen him talking to… well, thin air. I think he actually _does_ have spiritual abilities."

"But… how?" Phoenix asked.

"Not sure," Pearl sighed. "But since Luke carried him out of that cave… well, his spiritual balance is extremely off. It feels almost… suffocated, by another layer. For all we know… his state for the past few days could have been due to a spiritual spell. Someone else might have put those black locks on him for some reason," she said.

"Then… how do we get them off?"

"The same way you do any black Psych-lock. You break them."

"I can't… I can't break these. I can't break _his._ It's too risky," Phoenix muttered.

"Maybe not, but wouldn't overcoming some emotional boundary force him to remember, thus breaking them?" Luke asked. Phoenix looked at him for a moment before smiling sadly.

"Yeah. Yeah, that'll work," he said, before pulling out his phone and dialing a number.

…

Athena walked swiftly through the hospital, happy that Josh was finally awake and aware, but worried by the fact that Phoenix had said that he needed a Mood Matrix session.

She could tell why as soon as she entered the room. Josh was sitting up in bed, chuckling at something Maya had just said. But underneath that laughter was something only audible to Athena.

His heart. It was crying out in fear and guilt and confusion, so loudly, Athena was surprised the others couldn't hear it.

"Hey guys," she said. Everyone turned to look at her, and despite the grin she plastered on her face, Phoenix noticed that Widget was such a dark shade of blue, he was almost black.

"Hey guys. Let's uh… let's give Athena some time with Josh, okay?" he said, standing and pulling Maya up. Pearl and Luke immediately left, knowing what was going on, while Maya argued the entire way out.

"Um…" Josh muttered, watching after them before looking up at Athena. "What was that all about?" he asked. Athena sighed and sat in the seat Maya had just vacated.

"Joshua, something happened to you in those caves, which made you unresponsive for two days. Your father asked me to hold a Mood Matrix session with you, to help. He uh… he didn't want you slipping back into the unresponsive state," she explained. Josh smiled slightly.

"That's just like him. Alright then," he said, taking a deep breath and looking up at her. She smiled and nodded.

"Let's get started then."

…

 **A/N:** No, I didn't kill him off. His story's not even close to being over! I couldn't do that!

Mood Matrix time! This'll be the first time I write one of these sessions! It'll be fun!


	11. Truth

**A/N:** And here we are! I'm supposed to be doing homework, but I'm hitting major writer's block with that, so I decided to avert my attention for the day. Hopefully I'll come up with _something_ for tomorrow… since it's due on Sunday.

So, here we go!

…

Chapter Ten: Truth

Athena settled in the chair and activated Widget. Josh watched curiously, having seen this before, but never been on the receiving end of one of these sessions. Athena smiled warmly at him.

"Alright. Tell me what happened," Athena said. Josh nodded, then hesitated.

"Before we get started, there is something you should know," he said. Athena looked up at him from the hologram screen.

"Yes?"

"I can… see and talk to spirits," he said. Athena tipped her head to the side for a moment, then smiled.

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind then," she said. Josh nodded, and Athena looked back at the screen. "Ready whenever you are."

"After Dad yelled at me in that meeting, I decided to go find Luke and all myself," Josh began. The screen showed an image of him stuffing supplies in his bag, while both the anger and fear indicators flashed lightly.

"M, a spirit who's been helping me, knew the way and was going to show me," Josh continued. A shadowy person appeared behind Josh. The anger stopped flashing, but the fear indicator picked up a little, while the surprise indicator started as well. Athena's eyes flickered to those, and she frowned slightly, but let Josh continue.

"Misty and Amethyst showed up then. I admitted I could see spirits. And they actually believed me!" The two girls and Sapphire appeared on screen, and Misty was hugging Josh. The happy indicator began to flash and the surprise one quieted. But, what alarmed Athena was the fear indicator. It was getting louder and more insistent with each statement.

"They wanted to come with, but I made them stay home to cover for me." On screen Josh walked away from the girls, waving to them. The happy indicator went dark, while the fear picked up. Athena shook her head.

"Joshua," she said in her best soothing voice. "Multiple people witnessed Misty leaving the village with you that night. Not only that, but you felt fear while talking about M, as well as surprise.

"But… I asked Misty to stay home. And I don't know why I'm surprised when I think of M…" Josh said, confusion lacing his words.

"Perhaps you're remembering wrong? Amethyst even covered for your guys," Athena said.

"Amethyst… Wait… that's right," Josh muttered to himself.

"As for M, perhaps she wasn't who you thought she was?" Athena added. It was like a light bulb flickered to life in Josh's head. His eyes widened, losing some of their glassiness.

"Oh… oh god…" he gasped as the heart monitor picked up. On screen of the mood matrix, the fear indicator grew in intensity until it knocked the rest of the indicators off screen.

 _An out of control emotion!_ Athena thought. Just then, a nurse ran in.

"What's going on!?" she demanded.

"A therapy session, ma'am. This'll help in his recovery, believe me. Now I need to ask you to leave for confidentiality purposes," Athena said soothingly.

"Did his parents consent to this?" the woman asked.

"Yes. In fact, they asked me. Now, please?"

The woman huffed and stalked out, before Athena turned to the boy.

"Joshua, I need you to talk to me. What's going on?" she pried softly.

"Misty… Misty did come with me," Josh muttered. On screen showed the two of them walking out of the village together.

"We followed M to the caves." On screen showed that shadowy figure again. She stood behind Misty.

"Misty channeled her because I kept getting distracted by angry spirits." On screen Misty turned into the shadowy figure. Athena decided to stop it there.

"Joshua, do you know the spirit's real name that Misty channeled. You'd have to, right? Isn't that how channeling works?"

Josh dug the heels of his hands into his forehead, closing his eyes tightly. "I… I can't! I can't remember anything past Misty channeling her, other than Morgan doing _something_ to my head!" he cried, grinding his hands against his head even harder, not even realizing what he just said.

"Wait. Morgan?" Athena asked. Josh's eyes snapped open, and finally lost the last of their glassiness. His emotions went quiet for a moment, before starting again, double their volume. Only this time, mixed with the fear was anger.

"That's right! Morgan Fey! Misty summoned her, then grandma told me I couldn't trust her and I should cast a Spirit Severing Spell, and I went to and she did something to block my powers." Images flashed quickly across the mood matrix screen, too fast to make sense of. Athena quickly sat on the edge of the bed, taking his hands and pulling them away from his face.

"Josh, Josh, I need you to calm down. I understand the situation is destressing, but—" she cut off as all of the emotions in his heart quieted again, only this time to be replaced by a somber, cutting one.

Guilt.

"This is all my fault, Athena…" the boy whispered, not looking up at her. "Morgan lied to me the whole time. I knew it was suspicious, but… she wanted to teach me. She didn't think I was just jealous, or acting out." His shoulders began to shake. "I'm such an idiot."

"No, that's not true," Athena said sternly, hugging him, despite the headache she was getting from how loud his heart was. "You were put into a situation that _no one_ understood."

"Morgan has Misty's body. If it's been two days… who knows where she could have gone to?"

"They've been watching both entrances to the caves since they realized Misty was missing," Athena said.

"There could always be a third entrance…"

Athena sighed, knowing his logic was sound. After all, who knew exactly _anything_ about the layout of that place? She gave Josh a squeeze and stood.

"I'm going to go talk to your parents," she said. Josh nodded, curling up on his side, his back to the door. Athena sighed softly and stepped out of the room.

"Well?" Phoenix asked. Athena had a mental debate on how much to tell them, before realizing they needed the whole truth.

"He remembers what happened now. About Misty going with him, and what happened to her."

"Well?" Maya demanded. Athena sighed, fiddling with her earring.

"They were following the guidance of a spirit named M. Apparently, M was the one training him with his abilities. He found her suspicious, but still followed her since he was made to feel like she was the only one who believed in him." Phoenix winced at those words. Athena could hear his guilt, and Maya's. She felt bad, but pressed on. "This M lead them to the caves, where a bunch of angry spirits swarmed Josh. So, Misty channeled M."

"But who's M? A medium needs to know a spirit's full name before they can summon them," Maya pointed out. Athena looked at her. This name meant nothing to herself, but she knew it would have some meaning to Maya.

"Does the name Morgan Fey ring any bells?" she asked. And she was right. Both Phoenix and Maya gasped, and Maya grabbed Phoenix's arm, clutching it tightly.

"No…" she breathed.

"I knew we should have told them about her…" Phoenix sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

…

Eric, Luke, and a few of the men from the village carefully made their way through the caves, searching for Misty, with no luck.

"I just don't get it," Luke sighed. "Where could she be?"

"Your guess is as good as mine…" Eric replied with a sigh.

"Hey… what's that?" one of the men asked, spotting something ahead. The group moved closer and spotted a young man, probably in his mid-twenties, dozing against the wall. He was tall and lean, with messy dark hair that formed spikes around his face.

Luke thought he looked oddly familiar.

"Hey, wake up. Are you okay?" the medic of the group asked, gently shaking the young man. His eyes snapped open.

"Wha-!?" he gasped, before quickly scrambling away from the group.

"Whoa there. What are you doing down here?" Luke said, making a calming gesture with his hands. The young man scowled, moving further back from the group.

"Trying to give the spirits here the rest they deserve!" he snapped, before swinging a glowing hand upwards at the ceiling. The light shot from his hand and slammed into the ceiling. With a loud tremble of the cave around them, the roof collapse in between the young man and the group.

"Everyone okay?" Luke called as he waved dust away. There were multiple calls that they were fine, and he relaxed.

"Looks like we just found our saboteur," Eric said.

"Seriously. Though… what do you think he meant about those spirits?" Luke asked. Eric shrugged.

"No clue."

…

After the Mood Matrix session with Athena, Josh felt overwhelmed with guilt. It was so bad, that he couldn't even look at his parents. So, he stayed curled in a ball on his side, facing the wall, despite feeling Maya's fingers run through his hair, and despite their attempts to talk to him, and despite Pearl and Amethyst coming to visit.

Just then, Miles Edgeworth knocked lightly on the door, a file under his arm, as he entered. Phoenix looked up at gave him a strained smile.

"Hey, Miles."

"Wright," he said, nodding to him, before looking over at Josh. "How is he?"

"Recovering… but upset. He blames himself for this mess," Phoenix sighed, looking down. Edgeworth got the feeling Josh wasn't the only one.

"Well, after you told me what he said about having spiritual abilities, I did a little digging into your ancestry," Miles said, passing over the file. "Apparently, Naruhodō Ryūnosuke wasn't your only famous ancestor."

"Huh?" Phoenix asked, opening the file.

"Your great-grandfather on your mother's side, Fenikkusu Taiyō, was said to be able to cast spiritual spells, commune with the spirits, and summon spirits in the form of ghosts. He was quite famous for it in Japan," Miles explained. "I decided to look into this because I know women can't be the only spiritual ones. After all, there's a male International Prosecutor who is also a monk." Edgeworth pushed his glasses up his nose a little.

"This makes a lot of sense, actually…" Phoenix sighed. "Grandpa was always going on about how he 'locked away the family's curse for his descendants, even if his brother refused.'" Phoenix shrugged. "He never said what the curse was, and we all thought he was just senile, but… this could be it," he said.

"Which would explain how you can use the Magatama so well, and how you survived that training course at Hazakura," Maya said brightly. "And didn't you even see sis's spirit at one point or another?"

"Yeah. I guess spending so much time around Spirit Mediums… but then, Josh shouldn't have it so powerful," Phoenix said.

"Actually, Luke had a theory," Pearl suddenly said, gaining everyone's attention. Even Josh's, though he didn't show it. "The people he's been studying were very spiritual, so be believes Ami Fey chose the location she did because she sensed there was something in the ground that would unlock dormant spiritual abilities. Maybe it was too late to awaken your abilities fully, Nick, but Josh was born there, and spent the formative years of his life there."

"That's true," Phoenix mused.

"I doubt it's worth mentioning, but one of your cousins, a third one, to be exact, has dropped off the grid," Miles said, pointing to that part of the report. Phoenix narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the name.

"Dracon Sol…"

"Do you know him?" Maya asked. Phoenix closed the file and looked up.

"Nope."

…

 **A/N:** And there we have it! I had fun coming up with those names, heh.


	12. Dracon Sol

**A/N:** Nothing to say here.

ONWARDS!

…

Chapter Eleven: Dracon Sol

Morgan wandered through the caves, lost. Using a physical body was much different then traveling as a spirit, and all of the cave ins didn't help. Finally, she sighed, resting against a wall.

If she didn't hurry up and get out of these caves, this body would expire, and that would ruin everything.

She pushed off the wall and stepped around a corner, only to run into a young man. He was lean and tall, with short, dark spiky hair.

But that wasn't all she sensed about him.

He was like Joshua. He could _see_ the spirits in the caves. That was evident enough in the way his eyes flickered around.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"Ah, um… my name is Morgan. I'm lost. Could you help me?" Morgan asked, making her voice small. The man turned his head slightly, then shook in vigorously, swatting his hand through the air.

"I… no, I… there's a group back that way," he said, motioning over his shoulder. "If… I didn't kill them," he added, with real regret in his voice. He winced slightly, like someone just yelled close to his ear, then shook his head again. Morgan frowned slightly, wondering if this would have been how Joshua would have been had she allowed the spirits to hover around him.

Maybe she should have, all things considered.

"Well, thanks," she said, walking past the man. She had no intention of going to the group he mentioned, figuring they were a rescue party for Misty, but she imagined there might be side passages too.

…

Josh couldn't stand it much longer. Physically, he felt fine. So, the first moment he got, he snuck out of the hospital.

He knew it was wrong, and he knew he'd get in a world of trouble, but he had to right the wrongs that was his fault.

That's what he kept telling himself as he took the train back to Kurain, thankful they kept his clothes in his book bag (after all, riding the train in a hospital gown would have been both embarrassing _and_ suspicious).

From the Kurain train station, he quickly made his way to Mt. Mitama, thankful to see that they finally did clear away the debris that had previously blocked the entrance. He quickly snuck past the sleepy man watching the entrance for Misty.

This time, the caves were different. They were empty. Not a spirit in sight. In one way, Josh was thankful. In another, he found it really eerie.

"Focus, Josh," he hissed at himself, walking forward. "I'm sure you'll see them soon…" He rubbed at his eyes, his vision feeling blurry now that everything wasn't as sharp as it had been before.

 _Maybe… maybe Morgan took my spiritual abilities away. If that's the case… how do I save Misty?_ He thought. _This might be harder than I thought…_

He continued walking forward, moving deeper and deeper into the caves. He avoided any ledges like the plague, though. Now that he remembered what actually happened, felt a new fear of heights rising in his chest.

"That's it! I can't take it anymore!" a voice growled as Josh stepped into a large cavern space. He looked in the direction of the voice, only for spiritual light to slam into him, throwing him back.

"Ah!" Josh gasped as he hit the wall, slumping slightly. A young man with dark spiky hair was suddenly on him, grabbing the front of his shirt and hauling him up, pinning him to the wall with one hand, the other glowing brightly.

"The spirits do not want you and your friends here!" he yelled in Josh's face. "I tried to get that point across with a few sabotage attempts, but your either brave or _stupid_! Get out before I'm forced to hurt you!"

Josh's eyes were wide, his breathing escalated, as he took in the half crazed look on the other man's face. "P-please… I..." he muttered. The man suddenly stiffened, looking slightly to the side.

"What?" he asked the air beside him. He feature's softened slightly, and he slowly let Josh down, the glow around his hand fading. He listened for a moment more before turning to Josh, studying him.

"You're like me. You… can see spirits," he said in a soft voice. Josh looked away.

"Used to," he muttered. The man nodded.

"Someone put a lock on your abilities. I can sense it. Here, stand still," he said, his hand glowing light blue as he reached for Josh's forehead. Josh pressed himself back against the wall.

"Wait, no, please don't-!" he cut off as the man's fingers pressed against his forehead.

It was like a blindfold was ripped away. Colors became vibrant again, all of the edges of the world were razor sharp.

Standing next to the man was Misty Fey, Josh's grandmother.

"Welcome back, Joshua," Misty said with a smile. Josh rubbed his eyes for a moment before looking up at the man.

"Who _are_ you?" he demanded.

"Dracon Sol. You?"

"Er, Joshua Fey-Wright," he said. Dracon looked at him sharply before nodding slightly.

"Right. Come, let us sit. I think we have a lot to discuss," he said. Misty followed the two over to the center of the room, where two flattish rocks sat. Dracon took one, while Josh took the other. Dracon looked up.

"Thank you, Mystic Misty, for driving those spirits away. I want to help them, but sometimes… they're overwhelming."

"It was nothing, Dracon," Misty said, before both turned their attention to Josh.

"Look, sorry for, uh, attacking you," Dracon said sheepishly. "I thought you were with the archeologists.

"Well, I kind of am. They put their studies on hold to search for my sister, which I was doing, too," Josh admitted, before looking at him. "But why attack them in the first place?"

"These caves are sacred to the spirits who live in them, and the spirits are angry that those scientists are defiling them. I happened across these caves, and decided to drive the archeologists off myself. I guess I started to get desperate to give the spirits some peace though, and… might have accidently endangered the lives of the archeologists," Dracon admitted.

"I'll say. So, you act as an advocate for the spirits," Josh asked, drawing his knees to his chest. He was sore from being slammed into the wall, but that was quickly fading.

"Yes, because the dead cannot communicate with the living," Dracon explained.

"Hm…"

"What?"

"I just… I dunno, but the living can't exactly communicate to the dead either. At least not effectively. I guess I just thought of myself as a bridge between the two. You know, if anyone ever believed I had these abilities…" Josh sighed.

"Joshua is correct," Misty said. Dracon looked up at her. "All this time, you've done nothing but follow the orders of angry spirits. You should have tried to talk to the archeologists first, rather than sabotage their work."

"You're right," Dracon said, before falling quiet. Josh sighed, looking up at his grandmother.

"Have you seen Misty? Er… Morgan? Is Misty's body okay?" she asked. The spirit of Misty Fey hesitated.

"She's okay for now, Joshua, but she hasn't eaten for two days," she said. Josh jumped to his feet.

"Then we have to find her. _Now_."

…

Morgan turned the corner, and froze before quickly back tracking and hiding again. In the cavern in front of her, was a large circle made from stones and chalk. Inside that circle sat Joshua and the young man she ran into before.

She looked at Joshua, and scowled. Both the power and mind blocks were missing. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Dracon.

"I'll just have to fix that."

…

Josh began to turn towards one of the tunnels that branched from the cavern as Dracon stood. As soon as the latter was upright, a blast of light shot from one of the tunnels and slammed into him, throwing him away from Josh and out of the circle.

"Dracon!?" he called, only for another spell to slam into him, throwing him to the ground.

"Ugh…" Josh groaned, starting to push himself upright. He looked up, and his eyes grew wide. Morgan was stalking towards Josh, her hands glowing black. Looking up, Dracon saw the same thing.

" Josh, summon a ghost!" he yelled.

"H-how!?" Josh demanded, skootching backwards on his hands and butt.

"You're in the middle of a spirit circle. Trust your instincts. _Hurry!_ Dracon yelled, pushing himself to his feet. He winced and stumbled back to his hands and knees, unable to reach the circle in time. Josh adjusted himself so he was sitting cross legged, his hands folded in front of him. He folded his first and middle fingers together, leaved the ring finger and pinky up. It wasn't a Kurain hand sign, but it somehow felt right.

Josh closed his eyes, and focused. His spiritual power oozed from his body and into the circle around him, causing the rocks and the chalk to glow. Misty Fey, who had been inside the circle, formed a physical body made from Joshua's spiritual magic.

"This is as far as you go, Morgan."

…

Never before had Phoenix felt nauseous from fear. There were times when he'd feel dizzy, or black out for a second, like when Maya was in trouble, but this time was different.

He felt nauseous, dizzy, and weak all at the same time. All thanks to his kids.

Misty was still missing. And now, Josh had gone missing. From the _hospital_ , of all places. They quickly figured out that he ran away on his own, considering he left behind the hospital gown he had been wearing. That meant only one thing: he came back to the caves.

"I hope they're okay," Maya panted from next to where she ran alongside Phoenix. Ahead of them was Pearl, who was being led by Sapphire as the puppy followed Joshua's scent.

"I'm sure they will be," Phoenix said, his voice wooden. Maya sniffled slightly.

"This is as far as you go, Morgan," a voice drifted towards them from around the bend just ahead. Maya's eyebrows drew together, having a vague recollection of that voice. The group rounded the corner, and froze. Pearl shivered at the amount of spiritual power in the room.

"Josh!?" Phoenix gasped when noticing his son meditating near the edge of the spiritual circle, a bright glow surrounding him. He didn't answer.

"And you plan to stop me?" Morgan demanded, her hands glowing black.

"Yes, Misty said. She reached into Josh's book bag and pulled out a glowing red Magatama. She held it tight in her left hand, her right glowing with the same hue, and advanced on Morgan. Morgan shot spells at Misty, but the woman simply dodged.

Suddenly, Morgan began to glow red. She gasped, before tipping her head back, her eyes flashing red. The body turned back to Misty's, and the girl collapsed. Morgan's spirit quickly gathered Joshua's spiritual magic around herself, creating her own physical body. Josh slouched forward a bit, his face pale and sweaty. It was clear the spell was draining him.

"I must borrow some of your strength to bind her, Joshua," Misty said. Josh nodded slightly, never once opening his eyes. Misty stuck her hand into the wall of spiritual magic taking up the circle, drawing on its power, before starting a chant.

"No… NO!" Morgan yelled, before shooting a spell at Joshua. Focused as he was on maintaining the circle, he never noticed it until it hit him. Josh cried out in pain and a loud, shattering sound could be heard as he fell backwards. The spiritual circle cracked, but stayed intact.

"Joshua! Misty!" Phoenix yelled, rushing forward.

"Oh my god," Maya gasped, tears filling her eyes. "That was his spirit…"

"That's enough!" Dracon yelled. He had pulled himself over to the circle while the fight had been going on, and now he shoved a lot of the rocks out of the formation. The spiritual walls faded, and with them, Morgan and Misty Fey. Dracon immediately pulled Joshua's head into his lap and placed one hand on his forehead, one on his heart. The two boys began to glow with a bright light.

Phoenix, who was kneeling next to Misty, looked up. "What are you doing?"

"Healing Joshua's spirit," Dracon said. "Focus on tending to Misty."

As if, on cue, Misty opened her eyes.

"D-dad…?"

"It's okay. I'm here," Phoenix said. Joshua's eyelids fluttered slightly, just as the glow around him and Dracon faded, and Dracon slumped in relief.

"His spirit… you fixed it," Pearl gasped in surprise.

…

 **A/N:** Alright, guys! One more chapter after this to wrap things up. Wasn't that exciting!?


	13. Mentor

**A/N:** Alas, the end of another story. After this, I'll be writing an AU on my other account (WingedEmerald1992) called "Turnabout Music." Then I have two sequel ideas for this following Joshua.

But for now, a Review Reply!

Gamergirl: Yeah, that's what happens when I'm inspired, haha. Nope. He had to get it from somewhere, right? As for Dracon's and Joshua's futures, that'll be explained in this chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed the confrontation. That was a lot of fun to write too.

Alright now. ONWARDS!

…

Chapter Twelve: Mentor

Dracon carefully helped Joshua into a sitting position.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Weak. Like I'm going to hurl," he muttered. Dracon laughed.

"That's a good sign, then," he said. Phoenix over at Dracon from where he was sitting with Misty.

"It's nice to meet family for the first time," he said, holding out his hand. "Phoenix."

"Dracon," the boy said, shaking it. "I thought Wright sounded familiar. We're… what? Third cousins or something like that?"

"Something like that," Phoenix repeated with a chuckle.

Just then, another group of people rounded the corner. It was the archeologists, plus Detective Klu Hunter, who had also been called in to search for Misty. He quickly looked around.

"Everyone okay?" he asked, receiving nods in response. Josh suddenly looked over to Phoenix and Misty.

"Dad… Grandma said Misty hadn't eaten in two days," he said, just remembering.

"Wait, two days!? That's how long I was out?" Misty demanded, before groaning softly. "Between not eating and the spiritual drain, it's no wonder I feel so weak," she muttered, leaning against Phoenix.

"Well, sweetie, I don't have any ramen or burgers, but…" Phoenix dug in his pocket and pulled something out. "Here's a granola bar?"

"Gee… thanks Dad," Misty grumbled, but took it all the same and scarfed it down. Eric and Luke, on the other hand, were studying Dracon.

"That's the guy we met earlier… isn't it?" Luke asked. Eric nodded grimly.

"Yeah. The one who's been sabotaging the dig and causing the cave ins," he added. Hunter overheard them.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Um, yes?" Luke asked surprised the Detective had been listening. Hunter nodded grimly and walked over to the family.

"What's your name, young man?" he asked. Dracon looked up, surprised.

"Dracon Sol?"

"Well then, Dracon Sol, you are under arrest for trespassing, destruction of private property, and endangerment of human life," he said, reaching down to pull the young man up. Dracon didn't argue, knowing it was all true.

Josh, on the other hand, lunged forward and grabbed Hunter's arm.

"Wai—ugh…" waves of nausea rolled over Josh at his sudden movement, and he put his free hand over his mouth, trying not to vomit on the detective's shoes.

"Whoa there, Josh," Maya said, kneeling next to him and wrapping her arms around him, rubbing his back.

"Please, kid, let me go," Hunter said. Josh fought back the sick feeling and looked up.

"Please. You can't arrest him. He… he saved my life. Twice. And it wasn't his fault. R-right, Dracon? You were… being manipulated. By Morgan. Right?" he pressed. Dracon looked down at him.

"Joshua…" he said, surprised by the intensity of the younger boy's look. He hesitated a moment longer, and Josh turned to Phoenix.

"Dad, please, do something. He's family after all, right?"

"Right." Phoenix moved Misty closer to Maya and Josh, and stood, drawing himself to full height. "No one was hurt by his actions. And I doubt he caused the cave ins. Right guys?" he said, looking over at Luke and Eric. Eric smiled slightly, while Luke looked thoughtful.

"You know… you're probably right. Eric and I were mistaken in the heat of the moment, surprised by someone we didn't know. And there was a lot of seismic activity while we were working." Luke shrugged. "If anyone's to blame for endangering our lives, it's really us. Right Eric?"

"Right," Eric said with a smile

"Detective Hunter, I think those cuffs are unnecessary. I'll take responsibility for Dracon. On… one condition," he added, looking at his cousin.

"What's that?" Dracon asked.

"You come back to Kurain Village with us… and train Josh to use his abilities."

"…Dad…? You… believe me?" Josh asked, looking up at him. Phoenix turned to face his son, guilt the dominant emotion.

"Yes. I was an idiot for not believing in you," Phoenix said softly. _I mean, I believe in my clients, so why didn't I believe in him? It's horrible that I would believe in perfect strangers before I believed my own son…_ "That's changes today though. Maybe if I did believe you… none of this would have happened." He turned back to Dracon and Hunter. "Well?"

"Hey, if no one here's pressing charges…" Hunter said with a shrug. "And he did save someone's life…" he took the cuffs off of Dracon and stepped away from him. Phoenix smiled warmly at the young man.

"Well?"

"I… I dunno," Dracon said softly.

"Please, Dracon?" Josh pleaded. Dracon looked down at him. In the short time he knew Joshua, he came to look at his cousin (fourth or something?) as a friend. Maybe even a little brother. He let a sigh, then smiled.

"Alright."

…

 **A/N:** Short and sweet. The end. By the way, Dracon is Phoenix's third cousin, making him Joshua's fourth.

Well, I'll drop a note in here when I post up the sequels!


End file.
